International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 7 Issue 3, May-June 2023 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

An Exploratory Study to Assess the Academic Stress, Stress

Reactions and Coping Strategies among the B.Sc. Nursing
1st Year Students in Selected Colleges of Moga, Punjab
Amandeep Kumar
Nursing Tutor, University Institute of Nursing, Jalalabad, Punjab, India

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Amandeep

An exploratory study to assess the academic stress, stress reactions Kumar "An Exploratory Study to Assess
and coping strategies among the B.Sc. nursing 1st year students in the Academic Stress, Stress Reactions
selected colleges of Moga, Punjab, with the objectives of this study to and Coping Strategies among the B.Sc.
assess the academic stress level, stress reactions and coping Nursing 1st Year Students in Selected
Colleges of Moga,
strategies adopted by the B.Sc. nursing 1st year students in response
Punjab" Published
to academic stress. And to determine the relationship between in International
academic stress, stress reaction and coping strategies with selected Journal of Trend in
demographic variables such as age, gender, qualification of father, Scientific Research
qualification of mother, occupation of father, occupation of mother, and Development
family monthly income, type of family, distance from home to (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456- IJTSRD56310
college. Sample consisted of 100 B.Sc. nursing 1st year students 6470, Volume-7 |
selected by purposive sampling technique .Research setting was Issue-3, June 2023, pp.55-58, URL:
selected nursing colleges of Moga. The final result was based on the www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd56310.pdf
result of outcome gathered by rating scales based on stress
assessment, stress reactions and coping strategies. In this study, the Copyright © 2023 by author (s) and
International Journal of Trend in
maximum number (66%) of B.Sc. nursing 1st year students had
Scientific Research and Development
severe academic stress followed by (34%) had moderate academic Journal. This is an
stress, maximum(52%) of B.Sc nursing 1st year students had positive Open Access article
reactions followed by the minimum number (48%) of B.Sc nursing distributed under the
1st year students had negative reactions and maximum 68% of B.Sc. terms of the Creative Commons
nursing 1st year students had adaptive coping strategies to deal with Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
academic stress followed by the minimum 32% of B.Sc. nursing 1st (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
year students had maladaptive coping strategies to deal with
academic stress. The result was compiled and compared with
literature in order to assess the stress level, stress reactions and
coping strategies.

INTRODUCTION:
Nursing is a high stress level occupation. Various by the student nurses during the initial academic
aspects of nursing have been studied around the world period is more and that leads to certain behavioral and
in recent decades, where the student faces challenging emotional problems. Therefore based on the above life
situations that often influence both his learning experience and ground full evidences, the researcher
process and health condition. Graduation students face took interest in exploring the stress experienced by the
a new environment, different and distant from their B.Sc. Nursing 1st year students during the academic
life context. Another study was to examine period. Here the researcher wants to help student
effectiveness of brief improving well- being and nurses to better understand about the phenomenon of
mental health among 1st year BSc. Nursing students. stress, stress reactions and coping strategies. This
The results of the study showed that stress reduction will help them to lead a stress free life and to show
interventions decrease the risk for depression while the better academicperformances
contributing to increased self-efficacy and skills
problem statement
performance in a student nurse population and also An exploratory study to assess academic stress,
increased feelings of confidence, leading to a more
stress reactions and coping strategies among B.Sc.
rewarding educational experience in nursing student.
nursing 1st year students in selected colleges of Moga,
The researcher identified that the stress experienced Punjab.

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD56310 | Volume – 7 | Issue – 3 | May-June 2023 Page 55

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
PURPOSE Research Design
The purpose of present study is to assess the academic The present study non experimental research design
stress, stress reactions and coping strategies of B.Sc. was utilized to achieve the stated objectives.
Nursing 1st year students and to provide guidelines on
Target Population
management of academic stress. The population of the study was students of B.Sc.
OBJECTIVES nursing 1st year of Lala Lajpat Rai College of
1. To assess the academic stress level of the B.Sc. Nursing, Babe KeCollege of Nursing and Dr.Shyam
nursing 1st year students. Lal Thapar College of Nursing , Moga (Punjab)
2. To assess stress reactions of B.Sc. nursing 1st year Sample size and Sampling Technique
students The investigator selected a sample of 100 students
of B.Sc. nursing 1st year in the age group of 17-20
3. To find out the coping strategies adopted by the
years by using Purposive Sampling method of non-
B.Sc. nursing 1st year students in response to
probability sampling technique.
academic stress.
4. To determine the relationship between academic Demographic variables
In this study, demographic variables were age,
stress, stress reaction and coping strategies with
gender, type of family. qualification of father,
selected demographic variables such as age,
qualification of mother, occupation of father,
gender, qualification of father, qualification of
mother, occupation of father, occupation of occupation of mother, family monthly income, ,
distance from home to college.
mother, family monthly income, type of family,
distance from home to college. Selection and Development of the tool
Part 1- Sample characteristics
5. To develop guideline on management of
academic stress for B.Sc. nursing 1st year Part-2 – Rating scale of stress assessment data
students. Part III Rating scale of stress reactions.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Part IV Rating scale of coping strategies
ASSESS- It refers to the evaluation of the level of
academic stress, stress reactions and copingstrategies This part consists of coping strategies tool containing
among the B.Sc. nursing 1st year students. 20 items. Maximum score of each statement is 3
marks and minimum is 1 ma
ACADEMIC STRESS- It refers to any unpleasant
event or situation perceived by students which is Student’s stress was categorized into three levels.
generated by studies and examinations. Level of stress Score %
STRESS REACTIONS-It refers to response of Mild stress 1- 20
students to the perceived stress. Stress reactions Moderate stress 21-40
denote physical and psychological response of Severe stress 41-60
college students to their perceived academic stress.
Part III Rating scale of stress reactions.
COPING STRATEGIES-It refers to strategies where Stress reaction score
students try to avoid dealing with problem by Student’s stress reaction was categorized into two
cognitively and physical distancing themselves from ways.
situation.
Stress reaction Score
ASSUMPTIONS:- Positive reactions ≥40
1. The B.Sc. nursing 1st year students may have Negative reactions < 40
some level of academic stress.
Part IV Rating scale of coping strategies Coping
2. The B.Sc. nursing 1st year students may have strategies score
positive and negative reactions regarding Student’s coping strategies was categorized into two
academic stress. ways.
3. The B.Sc. nursing 1st year students may adopt
Coping strategies Score
some strategies to cope with academic stress.
Adaptive ≥40
DELIMITATIONS:- Maladaptive <40
1. The study was limited to the B.Sc. nursing 1st year
Plan of data analysis
students.
Analysis of the data was done in accordance with the
2. The study was limited to nursing colleges of Moga. objectives. It was done by using descriptive and

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
inferential statistics such as reliability of tool, mean, Thapar College of Nursing. The sample consisted of
percentage, standard deviation, Karl Pearson’s 100 subjects. Purposive sampling technique was used
correlation-coefficient,etc. Pie and bar diagrams were to select sample from the population. Verbal consent
used to depict the findings Reliability of tool. was taken from students. Prior to handling over the
tool to students, investigator gave self-introduction to
Reliability of the tool
the students and explains the purpose of gathering
Reliability of the tool was computed by split half
information.
technique and was calculated by Spearman Brown’s
formula and the reliability of the stress assessment In present study, 13% were male and 87% female.
score was r= 0.9 and the reliability of stress reaction These findings are inconsistent with that reported by
score was r=0.9 and reliability of Coping strategies (Erina, et al, 2009) in which 28.4% were male and
was r=0.9. Statically reliability r = 0.95 that shows the 69.8% were females. In present study, 50% students
tools were highly reliable. belong to nuclear famiy and 50% belong to joint
family. These percentage are supported by (Amrit
RESULT
kaur, Neelam Sharma, 2009)45 study in which 58%
In this study, the maximum number (66%) of B.Sc.
students belonged to nuclear family and 42%
nursing 1st year students had severe academic stress
belonged to joint family.
followed by (34%) had moderate academic stress,
maximum(52%) of B.Sc nursing 1st year students had Implications
positive reactions followed by the minimum number The findings of the study can be used in the following
(48%) of B.Sc nursing 1st year students had negative areas of nursing profession.
reactions and maximum 68% of B.Sc. nursing 1st year
Nursing education
students had adaptive coping strategies to deal with 1. The nursing student should be made aware of
academic stress followed by the minimum 32% of their role in health promotion and disease
B.Sc. nursing 1st year students had maladaptive coping prevention in the present and future year which
strategies to deal with academic stress. The result was may help in achieving the goal of health for all.
compiled and compared with literature in order to
assess the stress level, stress reactions and coping 2. The curriculum prepared should be able to
strategies prepare the students to educate the B.Sc. nursing
1st year students regarding the health hazards and
CONCLUSION:- encourage them to get involved in daily activities.
In academic stress level the maximum number
(66%) of B.Sc. nursing 1st year students had 3. The nurse educator should periodically organize
severe academic stress followed by (34%) had special training programmes for health team
moderate academic stress. members of PHC regarding prevention of health
hazards of stress.
In stress reaction the maximum number 52% of
B.Sc nursing 1st year students had positive Nursing practice
reactions followed by the minimum number 48% Nurses are key persons of the health team, who plays
of B.Sc nursing 1st year students had negative a major role in health promotion and maintainance.
reactions. The teaching programme can be conducted by the
nursing personnel which improves the knowledge of
In coping strategies the maximum 68% of B.Sc.
nurses on management of stress. As a nurse counselor,
nursing 1st year students had adaptive coping she can conduct individual counseling and group
strategies to deal with academic stress followed
counseling for students to educate on coping strategies
by the minimum 32% of B.Sc. nursing 1st year
of the stress.
students had maladaptive coping strategies to deal
with academic stress. Nursing administration
The nurse as an administrator can organize and
DISCUSSION conduct teaching programmes for health workers in
This chapter deals with finding of the present study,”
order to enhance their knowledge and keep them
An exploratory study to assess academic stress, aware of the effects of stress on mind and body and
stress reactions and coping strategies among providing counseling services.
B.Sc.nursing 1st yearstudents in selected colleges of
Moga, Punjab. In this part of chapter, an attempt has Nursing research
been made to discuss the findings of study in Research provides nurses credibility to influence
accordance with objectives of the research. The decision making, policy and protocol formulation
present study was Lala Lajpat Rai College of regarding prevention of effects of stress. Findings of
Nursing, Babe ke College of Nursing and Shyam Lal the present study suggests that educators and

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
administrators should encourage nurses to read, Summary
discuss and conduct research studies so as to enable This chapter deals with summary, conclusions,
the nurse to make data based decision rather than limitations, implications
intuitive decisions. [1] Kane P. Stress causing psychosomatic illness
among nurses. Indian Journal of Occupational
Recommendations
1. Similar study can be under taken in schools of and environmental Medicine April; 13(1):1 -18
rural areas to assess the academic stress,stress 2009
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2. Study can be conducted to find out the difference Psychiatric Nursing. First Edition. CBS
of academic stress, stress reaction andcoping Publishers. New Delhi; 2002.
strategies between urban school adolescents and [3] Cristina Olvera. The physical and emotional
rural schooladolescents. symptoms of stress. Health and wellness. 44:
3. Study can be under taken to evaluate the various 27-29. 2006
method of teaching for impartingeducation [4] Mac George, Erina, et al. Academic stress,
regarding stress management to students. supportive communication and health. Paper
4. Study can be done to assess the teacher’s presented at the annual meeting of International
knowledge regarding stress management. Communication Association, New York.2009

5. A comparative study can be conducted between [5] Luo Y, Wang H ”co-relation research on
the knowledge level of private and govt. school psychological health impact on nursing students
students regarding academic stress, stress reaction against stress, coping way and social support.’’
and coping strategies. Nursing education today. August 38(7):89-19.
2008
6. A similar study can be conducted on college
students to assess their academic stress, stress [6] Sathiyaseelam M, Vijayakumar C,
reaction and coping strategies. "Psychological distress, personality and
adjustment amoung nursing students." Journal
7. The similar study can be conducted by providing of Nursing Education Today. August; 27(6) :
planned teaching programmme regarding 597 - 601. 2007
academic stress, stresss reactions and coping
strategies to the parents and teachers and evaluate
its effectiveness.

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