Keeping Nursing Student Stress in Check: Strategies from Clinical Nursing Faculty

Written by Catherine A. Stubin

doi: https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr.2021.11.01.1007

Abstract

Background: Interventions for nursing student clinical stress focus on stress-reducing activities and self-care techniques that students can implement to decrease stress. Current literature identifies the clinical instructor as a major source of student clinical stress. It is essential to explore how educators can modify their behavior and interactions with students to help manage nursing student clinical stressors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand better how clinical nursing faculty manage undergraduate baccalaureate nursing student stress in the clinical environment.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was conducted. Individual, semi-structured interveiws were conducted on a purposive sample of clinical nursing faculty (n = 14) with at least four semesters of clinical teaching experience. Study participants were from seven generic baccalaureate, accredited nursing programs in the US Northeast region.

Results: The theme “promoting an optimal clinical learning environment” and sub-themes “being self-aware” and “supporting the student” emerged from data analysis.

Conclusion: Study findings may help educators understand the extent to which their behaviors and interactions with students can contribute to nursing student clinical stress, thus maximizing student clinical learning.

Keywords: stress, nursing students, clinical environment, clinical nursing faculty, strategies