Source of Stress-Associated Factors Among Medical and Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The demanding requirements of nursing education impose great stress on students, which can adversely affect their health and well-being in terms of academic and clinical performance. Aims: This study aimed to determine the level of stress and the main causes of stress among medical and nursing students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with medical and nursing students in Pakistan via a convenience sampling method. Sources of stress-associated factors were assessed using online questionnaire. The data were collected between July 1 and August 31, 2024. A total of 302 medical and nursing students participated in the research. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean) and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. Results: According to the findings, medical and nursing students experience stress from multiple sources, with financial difficulties, academic workload, clinical practice, and environmental factors being the primary contributors. The most common stressors were insufficient income, pressure from clinical instructors and staff, and unfamiliarity with patient diagnoses and treatments. Multifactor logistic regression analysis revealed that stress from assignments and workload was significantly associated with fear of poor grades (p=0.046), while clinical practice quality also showed a significant effect (p=0.029). Additionally, dealing with patients with physio-psychosocial issues (p=0.039) and unfamiliarity with clinical conditions (p=0.012) were significant predictors of stress. These findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of student stress. Conclusion: This study revealed that medical and nursing students experience significant levels of stress related to finances, clinical practice, and academics, which affects their performance. Medical and Nursing Implications: Educational administrators must establish policies that assist medical and nursing students. Some of these policies could include evaluating the workload of Medical and nursing students, refining curriculum design, providing financial support, and providing scholarships to students facing challenging circumstances.

Keywords: Pakistan; medical students; mental health; nursing students; stress; stress factors.