Stress as Perceived by Rural Associate Degree Nursing Students

This descriptive study examined the perceived levels of stress in first and second level students enrolled in a rural associate degree in nursing program. A review of the literature indicated minimal research in stress experienced by students at the associate degree level. This investigation was a partial replication of a study by Beck and Srivastava (1991) that examined perceived levels and sources of stress at the baccalaureate level. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the level of stress experienced by first and second level student s in a rural associate degree program. Neuman's System Model (1995) was used as the theoretical framework. The model addresses a client's perception of stressors and the influence of the environment upon the client's perception of stressors. For the purpose of this investigation, the student was represented as the client and the environment was represented by the associate degree program. The Perceived Stress Scale developed by Cohen (1983) was used to collect data at a rural Midwest community College. A demographic information sheet was used to obtain information about the students enrolled in the associate degree nursing program. This included age, marital status, gender, ethnic group, and previous experience in the health care field prior to entering the program. The results of the Perceived Stress Scale indicated moderate to high levels of stress in both levels of the bi- level associate degree nursing program. First and second level students’ perception of stress in response to the items on the Perceived Stress Scale differed on some items; however, the results of a t-test indicated there was no significant difference in perceived levels of stress between the two groups.