Stressors Affecting Baccalaureate Nursing Students in the Clinical Area in Palestinian Universities

Abstract Stress is one of the issues that nursing student face during their transition from theoretical education to clinical application and it can affect the psychosocial status; it may influence academic performance and student well-being. Aim of the study: This paper aims to identify sources of stress and the intensity of stressors facing baccalaureate nursing students in clinical training in governmental and private hospitals in Palestinian Universities. Background: Stress among nursing students is familiar especially in training as the student exposed to new area with different types of patients, professionals, equipment’s, instructors and hospitals; these stressors mostly affect the student’s ability to achieve good outcome. Method: This descriptive study use face-to-face questionnaire. Results: the mean total response degree about the stress factors due to the career, training environment, working with various kinds of patients, and the evaluation by supervisors were medium (2.52, 2.59, 2.81, 2.59) respectively. There is relationship between the degree of the stress factors towards the university, place of training, years of study, and training period, F= 3.858(0.002), 3.194( 0.042), 4.214 ( 0.015), 4.778( 0.009) respectively. Conclusions: stress that nursing students face must be consider as an important factor that affect their achievement and ability to have good experience, there are differences between the variables which needs more attention trying to decrease the number and intensity of these stressors.