Nursing students & stress management: How do undergraduate BSN students perceive and cope with their academic stress throughout the program?

As Semester 4 nursing students nearing the completion of our program, our discussions of our individual nursing journeys revealed to us a consistent and common, shared experience: academic stress. In addition, we related with how our academic stressors and the way we cope with them continue to change as we progress through the program. Recognizing the profound influence and effect that stress has played in shaping our educational experiences, we collectively chose to investigate how this may evolve throughout the BSN program. Our research question aims to measure the development of academic stress and coping mechanisms from the perspective of semester 1 students compared to semester 5 students, distinguishing between varying types of eustress, which is classified as beneficial stress, and distress, which is classified as harmful stress. This exploration will grant us the ability to visualize the relationships between academic demands, stress levels, and coping mechanisms. Upon the completion of this research and data analysis, we aspire to identify evidence-based stress management strategies that future nursing students and instructors can utilize to diminish negative stressors. In doing so, this can aid in creating a more uplifting learning environment and utilizing the benefits of eustress. Ultimately, our research aims to provide valuable insights into how the high academic expectations of nursing education shapes how nursing students cope and succeed throughout their BSN programs. We hope that such findings can propel and guide a development of targeted interventions and support systems to improve the nursing school experience. Poster submission was sponsored by instructor Leisha Vandermey, (Health Science Department) for course NURS 3417 and was presented at the Coquitlam campus on April 9, 2024, for Student Research Days 2024.