Academic Journal
Perceived stress, coping behaviors, and environmental-relational stressors during first clinical placement among nursing students.
| Τίτλος: | Perceived stress, coping behaviors, and environmental-relational stressors during first clinical placement among nursing students. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Hendy A; Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.; Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.; Nursing Services Department, Qassim University Medical City, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia., Ibrahim RK; Nursing Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Al Dhafra, Madinat Zayed, United Arab Emirates.; Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Damnhour University, Cairo, Egypt., Darwish A; Psychology Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates., Alqarawi N; Department of Community, Psychiatric, and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia., Albagawi BS; Medical Surgical Department, College of Nursing, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Alsalamah YS; Department of Nursing, Mental Health Hospital, Qassim Health Cluster, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.; Faculty of Health Science, Department of Nursing, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa., Babkair L; Faculty of Nursing, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia., Abdullahi NM; Department of Community, Psychiatric, and Mental Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia., Alenzi AB; Advance Nurse Practitioner, Prince Abdullah bin Musaed Cardiac Centre (PAMCC), Arar, Northern Borders Region, Saudi Arabia., Alfalaij MA; Department of Emergency, Nursing Affairs, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. |
| Πηγή: | Frontiers in psychology [Front Psychol] 2026 Jul 15; Vol. 17, pp. 1870065. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 15 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101550902 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1664-1078 (Print) Linking ISSN: 16641078 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Psychol Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Pully, Switzerland : Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Περίληψη: | Background: The transition to the first clinical placement is a psychologically demanding phase for nursing students, requiring adaptation to patient care responsibilities, academic expectations, and unfamiliar clinical settings. Stress during this period may be influenced by academic, clinical, environmental, and relational stressors, which can affect students' psychological well-being and coping behaviors. Objective: This study aimed to assess the levels and sources of perceived stress and examine the relationship between coping behaviors and environmental-relational stressors among first-year nursing students during their initial clinical placement. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional descriptive correlational study. A total of 467 first-year undergraduate nursing students undergoing initial clinical training in seven governmental hospitals participated. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students and the Coping Behavioral Inventory. The Perceived Stress Scale included domains related to the clinical environment and interactions with teaching and nursing staff, which were used to explore perceived environmental and relational stressors. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression were used to examine associations between stress domains and coping behaviors. Results: Students reported high overall perceived stress (M = 62.99, SD = 9.76). The most prominent stressors were practical assignments and workload, patient care, examinations of personal competence, and environmental and staff-related factors, while stress related to lack of professional knowledge/skills and daily life was comparatively lower. Regarding coping behaviors, problem-solving and optimistic coping showed significant negative associations with total perceived stress (r = -0.75 and r = -0.36, respectively; p < 0.001) and were significant negative predictors in regression analysis (β = -0.76 and β = -0.32; p < 0.001). Conclusion: First-year nursing students experienced high stress during initial clinical placement, mainly related to workload, patient care, evaluation, and environmental factors. Coping strategies showed associations with stress levels, where problem-solving and optimism were linked to lower perceived stress, while avoidance and transference showed weaker associations. These findings highlight the potential importance of structured orientation, mentorship, stress-management support, and supportive clinical training conditions during early clinical exposure. (Copyright © 2026 Hendy, Ibrahim, Darwish, Alqarawi, Albagawi, Alsalamah, Babkair, Abdullahi, Alenzi and Alfalaij.) |
| Competing Interests: | The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: adaptation; clinical clerkship; clinical training environment stressors; education; nursing; psychological; stress; students |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260730 Date Completed: 20260730 Latest Revision: 20260813 |
| Update Code: | 20260814 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13416240 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1870065 |
| PMID: | 42529137 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1664-1078 |
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| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1870065 |