Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Coping strategies of nursing students for dealing with university stress

ABSTRACT

Objective:

to identify the coping strategies used by nursing students in a university in southern Brazil, establishing the relationship between the sociodemographic and academic variables examined.

Method:

an exploratory, descriptive, quantitative study, carried out with 146 nursing students, through application of the Coping Strategies Inventory. For the data analysis, descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and regression analysis were used.

Results:

it was found that the coping strategy most used by nursing students is escape. A connection was also detected between the academic dissatisfaction variable and the use of negative coping strategies.

Conclusion:

it was noted that students satisfi ed with the course used positive coping strategies targeting the problem, whereas dissatisfi ed students used negative strategies focusing on the emotion.

Key words:
Nursing Students; Psychological Adaptation; Nursing Education

RESUMO

Objetivo:

identificar as estratégias de coping utilizadas pelos acadêmicos de enfermagem de uma Universidade no Sul do Brasil, estabelecendo relação entre as variáveis sócio-demografi cas e acadêmicas pesquisadas.

Método:

estudo quantitativo, do tipo exploratório-descritivo, realizado com 146 estudantes de enfermagem, mediante aplicação do Inventário de Estratégias de coping. Para análise dos dados utilizou-se a estatística descritiva, análise de variância e análise de regressão.

Resultados:

evidenciou-se que a estratégia de coping mais utilizada pelos estudantes de enfermagem foi a fuga da realidade. Identificou-se também associação entre a variável insatisfação acadêmica e a utilização de estratégias de coping negativas.

Conclusão:

verificou-se que estudantes satisfeitos com o curso utilizam estratégias de coping positivas e centradas no problema, enquanto que estudantes insatisfeitos usam estratégias negativas e focadas na emoção.

Descritores:
Estudantes de Enfermagem; Adaptação Psicológica; Educação em Enfermagem

RESUMEN

Objetivo:

identificar las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas por estudiantes de enfermería en una universidad en el sur de Brasil, estableciendo una relación entre las variables sociodemográficas y académicas estudiadas.

Método:

estudio cuantitativo, exploratorio y descriptivo, realizado con 146 estudiantes de enfermería, mediante la aplicación de lo inventario de Estrategias de Afrontamiento. Análisis de datos utilizó la estadística descriptiva, análisis de varianza y análisis de regresión.

Resultados:

fue evidente que la estrategia de afrontamiento más frecuentemente utilizadas por los estudiantes de enfermería fue escapar de la realidad. También se identificó una asociación entre la variable de insatisfacción académica y el uso de estrategias de supervivencia negativas.

Conclusión:

los estudiantes satisfechos con el curso utilizan estrategias de afrontamiento positivo y centrado en el problema, mientras que los estudiantes insatisfechos utilizan estrategias negativas y centradas en la emoción.

Palabras clave:
Estudiantes de Enfermería; Adaptación Psicológica; Educación en Enfermería

INTRODUCTION

We are currently living in a society that is rapidly chang-ing and requires continual adaptations to new lifestyles. This constant instability obliges individuals to adapt daily to new situations, resulting in transformations that can lead to stress(1Pacheco S. [Stress and Coping in Nursing Students]. Referência [Internet]. 2008 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];2(1):89-95. Available from: https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo= Portuguese.
https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/d...
). When confronted with a threatening situation, individuals may react by using coping strategies in order to handle and adapt to a new situation(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.). Therefore, coping is defined as the ability to confront and adapt, enabling peo-ple to react to behaviors, thoughts, and emotions caused by stressful events(33. Flórez-Torres I, Herrera-Alarcón E, Carpio-Jiménez E, Veccino-Amador M, Zambrano-Barrios D, Reyes-Narváez Y, et al. [Coping and Adaptation in Patients Discharged from Intensive Care Units]. Aquichan [Internet]. 2011 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):23-39. Available from: http://aquichan.unisabana.edu.co/index.php/aquichan/article/view/1815/2382 Spanish.
http://aquichan.unisabana.edu.co/index.p...
).

It was noted in the literature that nursing students are more exposed to stressful events than students from other courses, because they are continually embroiled in situations of responsibility for the lives and health of patients(1Pacheco S. [Stress and Coping in Nursing Students]. Referência [Internet]. 2008 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];2(1):89-95. Available from: https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo= Portuguese.
https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/d...
). Thus, stress is something inherent to nursing, for both pro-fessionals and students, due to the numerous demands and excessive workloads, the lack of adequate support for the pressures experienced daily in performing their activities, the ever-changing nature of the work and having to deal with death, all of which contribute to high levels of stress in the nursing profession(4Chang EM, Hancock KM, Johnson A, Daly J, Jackson D. Role stress in nurses: review of related factors and strategies for moving forward. Nurs Health Sci [Internet]. 2005 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];7(1):57-65. Available from: http://onlinelibra ry.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2005.00221.x/epdf
http://onlinelibra ry.wiley.com/doi/10.1...
).

Consequently, the proper use of coping strategies can al-leviate some levels of stress and enhance the quality of life of these students(5Por J, Barriball L, Fitzpatrick J, Roberts J. Emotional intelligence: its relationship to stress, coping, well-being and professional performance in nursing students. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2011 Nov [cited 2014 Apr 15];31(1):855-60. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a rticle/pii/S0260691711000086
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a r...
). Coping is a term used to explain the reac-tions of an organism when faced with a stressful situation(6Costa ES, Leal IP. Estratégias de coping em estudantes do Ensino Superior. Anál Psicol [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 Apr 15];24(2):189-99. Available from: http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v24n2a06.pdf
http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v...
) and may be considered as a set of physical or psychological strategies that can be learned, used, or discarded. Coping, which is triggered in response to a stressor, is directed to-ward this internal or external event that exceeds the individuais adaptive capabilities, as a way of dealing with the situation viewed as stressful(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.).

To define the coping resources needed to face a stressful situation, a process called cognitive evaluation can be used. In this process, the individual should evaluate the level of stress that a situation may generate, taking into account his or her personal perception of this situation, social influenc-es, and coping strategies available(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.).

When the coping strategies used by the individual are effective, the stress may possibly be overcome, indicating that a way was found to adapt to the situation. If the strat-egy used does not solve the problem, a reevaluation process and a change in coping strategies may occur until the problem is overcome or the individual reaches the point of exhaustion(1Pacheco S. [Stress and Coping in Nursing Students]. Referência [Internet]. 2008 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];2(1):89-95. Available from: https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo= Portuguese.
https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/d...
,7Andolhe R, Guido LA, Bianchi ERF. Stress and coping in perioperative period of breast cancer. Rev Esc Enferm USP [Internet]. 2009 Sep [cited 2014 Apr 15];43(3):711-20. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reeusp/v43n3/en_a30v43n3.pdf
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reeusp/v43n3/en...
).

It should be noted that when individuals are aware of the strategies they are using and are able to evaluate the context they are facing, they can adjust the coping strategy accord-ing to the reality they are experiencing, seeking the strategy that best fits their particular situation(8Kristensen CH, Schaefer LS, Busnello FB. [Coping strategies and stress symptoms in adolescence]. Estud Psicol (Campinas) [Internet]. 2010 Jan-Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];27(1):21-30. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/estpsi/v27n1/v27n1a03.pdf Portuguese.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/estpsi/v27n1/v2...
). However, in the case of negative adaptation caused by the use of negative coping strategies, individuals may not be able to adapt to or reevalu-ate the situation in order to modify the measures being used to confront the situation. As a result, an intense feeling of withdrawal may occur, manifested in feelings of apathy and lack of motivation to engage in academic activities(9Monteiro CFS, Freitas JFM, Ribeiro AAP. [Stress in the Academic Daily: A Nursing Student View from the Federal University of Piauí - Brazil]. Esc Anna Nery [Internet]. 2007 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):66-72. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1a09.pdf Portuguese.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1...
-1010 Shaban IA, Khater WA, Akhu-Zaheya LM. Undergraduate nursing students' stress sources and coping behaviours during their initial period of clinical training: a Jordanian perspective. Nurs Educ Pract [Internet]. 2012 Jul [cited 2014 Apr 15];12(4):204-9. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595312000078
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

For most students, starting university often means learn-ing how to manage their activities on their own. However, this change in the social, family, and school environment can, in some cases, generate feelings of anxiety that may bring on stress(1111 Ramos SIV, Carvalho AJR. Nível de estresse e estratégias de coping dos estudantes do 1° ano do ensino universitário de Coimbra. Rev Psicol [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2014 Apr 15]: 1-10. Available from: http://www.psicologia.pt/artigos/textos/A0368.pdf
http://www.psicologia.pt/artigos/textos/...
). Changes in the social support network can cause students to withdraw and isolate themselves, because they do not find or recognize the necessary social support, inducing them to use coping strategies considered negative, such as defensiveness and social isolation(6Costa ES, Leal IP. Estratégias de coping em estudantes do Ensino Superior. Anál Psicol [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 Apr 15];24(2):189-99. Available from: http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v24n2a06.pdf
http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v...
).

The objective of this study was to identify the coping strategies used by nursing students, correlating them with the sociodemographic and academic variables. It was based on the need to learn about these students' stress coping mecha-nisms and identify the strategies used in order to determine a more effective response for management of stressors.

METHOD

This was an exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study, carried out with nursing students from a public university in southern Brazil. The subjects were comprised of 146 students from the undergraduate course in nursing, enrolled from the first to ninth semester of the course. Non-probabilistic sampling by convenience was used; that is, the subjects were selected according to their presence and availability at the site when the data collection occurred, in August and September 2013. The instruments were given to those students who agreed to participate in the study by signing the Free and Informed Consent Form.

The Coping Strategy Inventory designed by Lazarus and Folkman(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.), adapted to Portuguese by Savóia(1414 Reeve KL, Shumaker CJ, Yearwood EL, Crowell NA, Riley JB. Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2013 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];33(4):419-24. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
), was used as the data collection instrument. Questions characterizing the sample were added to the beginning of the instrument. It was composed of 66 questions evaluated on a Likert-type four-point scale, with 0 for "I didn't use this strategy," 1 for "I used it a little," 2 for "I used it quite a bit," and 3 for "I used it a great deal."

First, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the original 66 questions from the instrument, based on the di-mensions established by Lazarus and Folkmann(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.), with 46 validated items being grouped into eight factors: confrontation, distancing, self-control, social support, accepting re-sponsibility, escape-avoidance, problem solving, and positive reappraisal.

Of the 66 questions in the original questionnaire, 29 were excluded because they had a factor loading below 0.400. Then an evaluation was performed regarding the conceptual adherence to the definition of the theoretical dimensions in relation to the items from the scale. After completion of the confirmatory factor analysis and application of Cronbach's Alpha, the constructs were established for seven factors consist-ing of 37 items, with alpha ranging from 0.600 to 0.853. The seven factors were: positive reappraisal, planning/resolution, escape-avoidance, distancing/distraction, acceptance/resigna-tion, denial of the problem,and feelings and social support. For storage and data analysis, the statistical software SPSS (Sta-tistical Package for Social Sciences)Version 22.0 was used, which facilitated the process of organization into tables and provided better viewing of the results and their interpretation.

The data underwent three different analyses: 1) descriptive statistics, through using means and frequency distribution of the constructs and their indicators (identifying the intensity or frequency with which the phenomena are experienced); 2) analysis of variance, using ANOVA among the different groups of respondents, according to the sample characteris-tics, in order to verify possible significant differences among the dimensions of the phenomenon studied and the socio-demographic and academic variables examined. The follow-ing variables were taken into account: sociodemographic and academic; age; gender; current semester; number of courses; satisfaction and relationship with professors; and 3) multiple regression analysis, in order to evaluate which factors had a greater effect on the subjects' perception of the phenomenon being investigated.

This study is part of the macro project "Patient advocacy and coping in nursing: possibilities to exercise power through experiences of moral suffering" called Universal 2012. The study adhered to the recommendations of Resolution No. 466/12 of the National Health Council, and the project was evaluated and approved by the local Ethics Committee for Research, via Opinion No. 2013-52.

RESULTS

In relation to the sociodemographic data, there were a total of 146 students, of whom 130 (89%) were female and 16 (11%) were male. The mean age was 24.91, ranging from 17 to 52 years of age. Most students said they were single (72.6%) and without children (82.9%).

It was also noted that 43.8% lived at home with their parents, 67.8% participated in extracurricular activities, and 21.2% worked in the area of health. Most of the students (92.5%) had Internet access, 54.8% used public transport, and 76% said they engaged in some kind of leisure activity.

In terms of academic characteristics, the highest con-centration of students (15.8%) was in the third semester of the course. The majority had a good relationship with their professors (59.6%) and colleagues (51.4%). They reported having chosen nursing as their first course option (72.6%) and 52.1% were satisfied with their choice. They chose the course because they identified with the profession (41.8%) or were interested in the area of health (52.1%); 50% said they had never considered dropping out of the course.

In relation to the descriptive analysis of the coping strategies used by the students (Table 1), the study showed that the escape-avoidance dimension had the highest mean in the questionnaire (1.91), indicating that this type of strategy is the one most used by nursing students. The questions from this dimension also attained higher means, particularly questions C-51, "I promised myself that things would be different next time" (2.11), and C-62 "I went over in my mind what I would say or do" (2.22).

Table 1
Coping strategies used by nursing students, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2014

The positive reappraisal dimension attained the second highest mean among the factors (1.67), followed by the plan-ning/resolution(1.47) and social support (1.43) dimensions. It could be identified that students try to resolve the situation somehow, focusing on the problem or on control or management of their emotions. The constructs that had the lowest means among the strategies used were distancing/dis-traction (1.40), acceptance/resignation (1.29), and denial of the problem/feelings (1.18), demonstrating that the strategies less used by students are those that involve passively aban-doning the situation and surrendering to the problem.

ANOVA (Table 2) enabled an analysis of the existence of possible differences in the means of the dimensions of the coping strategies used by the nursing students, taking into ac-count their social and academic characteristics. As far as the relationship between the positive reappraisal dimension and the sociodemographic variables, significant differences were found with respect to the variables of leisure, adequate loca-tion, and satisfaction with the course.

Table 2
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) between coping factors and socio-academic variables, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2014

Younger students who engaged in leisure activities, had an adequate location for their studies, and were satisfied with the course were those who most used the positive reappraisal strategy. A significant difference was also de-tected between the planning/resolution dimension and the variables of first course option, choice factors, and leisure, leading to the conclusion that students who engaged in a leisure activity, identified more with the course, and chose nursing as their first option used the planning/resolution strategy more.

In terms of escape, students who did not engage in leisure activities and did not have Internet access had a higher mean as far as the use of this strategy. For the distancing/distrac-tion and acceptance/resignation constructs, the choice factors variable had the highest mean, indicating that students who did not identify with the profession were those who most used those strategies.

In relation to denial of the problem and feelings,the variable with the highest mean was satisfaction with the course, suggesting that students who were not satisfied with the course used this strategy more. Finally, the variable with the highest mean in the social support dimension corresponding to having children, demonstrating that students who did not have children used social support strategies more.

In assessing the effects of the seven dimensions of the coping strategies (Table 3), the regression analysis established the dependent coping variable in relation to the constructs. The results identified a relationship of significance at a level of 5% for all of the factors. An adjusted determination coefficient of 0.98 was attained through the test, representing a 98% expla-nation for the coping strategies used by the nursing students when faced with stressful situations at university.

Table 3
Regression Analysis for the coping variable, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2014

Through statistical analyses, it can be seen that there is a strong correlation between the academic satisfaction variable and the use of coping strategies such as positive reappraisal, planning/resolution, denial of the problem and feelings, dis-tancing/distraction, and acceptance/resignation, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Representation of the sociodemographic and academic factors that contribute toward the use of coping strategies

DISCUSSION

The study found that most of the strategies used by the students in order to try and manage the emotional tension gener-ated by the problem are those that focus on emotions. Only the planning/resolution factor was a strategy that focused on the problem and sought to actively resolve it through confron-tation. Different authors have reported that coping strategies that focus on the problem are more frequently used by nursing students(1Pacheco S. [Stress and Coping in Nursing Students]. Referência [Internet]. 2008 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];2(1):89-95. Available from: https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo= Portuguese.
https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/d...
1212 Savóia MG, Santana PR, Mejinas MP. Adaptação do inventário de estratégias de coping de Folkman e Lazarus para o português. Psic USP [Internet]. 1996 [cited 2014 Apr 15];7(1-2):183-201. Available from: http://www.revistas.usp.br/psicousp/article/view/34538/37276
http://www.revistas.usp.br/psicousp/arti...

13 Díaz Martín Y. [Academic stress and coping in medical students]. Rev Hum Med [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2014 Apr 15]; 10(1). Available from: http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc070110.pdf Spanish.
http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc07...
-1414 Reeve KL, Shumaker CJ, Yearwood EL, Crowell NA, Riley JB. Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2013 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];33(4):419-24. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

It was possible to identify that the coping strategies com-prising the escape/avoidance factor had a higher mean among the responses, demonstrating that students try to escape prob-lems in illusory or imaginary ways, fantasizing situations and minimizing the seriousness of the situation, also characterized as a strategy that focuses on emotions. This strategy is used more often by students who reported not engaging in leisure activities, showing that this leads, consequently, to decreased social interaction and progressive isolation, causing the stu-dent to use negative strategies focused on emotions(1313 Díaz Martín Y. [Academic stress and coping in medical students]. Rev Hum Med [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2014 Apr 15]; 10(1). Available from: http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc070110.pdf Spanish.
http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc07...

14 Reeve KL, Shumaker CJ, Yearwood EL, Crowell NA, Riley JB. Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2013 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];33(4):419-24. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...

15 Gibbons C, Dempster M, Moutray M. Stress, coping and satisfaction in nursing students. J Adv Nurs [Internet]. 2011 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];67(3):621-32. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05495.x/epdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11...
-1616 Westermann C, Kozak A, Harling M, Nienhaus. Burnout intervention studies for inpatient elderly care nursing staff: systematic literature review. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];5(1):63-71. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748912004294
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

Emotional involvement with a stressful reality can lead to the use of defensive mechanisms of distancing from reality, which are ineffective for managing or resolving the stress(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.). By disconnecting from the reality, the individual adapts nega-tively to the situations being experienced, which can lead to feelings of isolation and, consequently, to apathy and lack of motivation to perform academic activities(9Monteiro CFS, Freitas JFM, Ribeiro AAP. [Stress in the Academic Daily: A Nursing Student View from the Federal University of Piauí - Brazil]. Esc Anna Nery [Internet]. 2007 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):66-72. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1a09.pdf Portuguese.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1...
).

One study suggests that this form of adaptation is not effective, because the students who used escape-avoidance strategies to cope with stress were those who attained the highest stress means in all of the domains(1414 Reeve KL, Shumaker CJ, Yearwood EL, Crowell NA, Riley JB. Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2013 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];33(4):419-24. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
). This conclusion is corroborated by another study which found that there is an inversely proportional relationship between the escape-avoidance strategy and stress management/resolution. That is, the more students use the escape-avoidance factor, the greater the mean stress noted(1515 Gibbons C, Dempster M, Moutray M. Stress, coping and satisfaction in nursing students. J Adv Nurs [Internet]. 2011 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];67(3):621-32. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05495.x/epdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11...
).

However, students do not use only negative strategies. Planning/resolution was the second most used factor by the students in their efforts to manage stressful situations in the academic environ-ment. After reflecting on the circumstances, the student performed an analysis of the situation, made plans, and executed actions to resolve the problem(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.). In this dimension, it was also possible to show that students who had chosen nursing as a first option used the planning/resolution strategy more often compared to other students. Therefore, when students are not studying their first course option, this should be taken into account, because it can easily result in the student losing interest or abandoning their studies, adopting compensatory behaviors such as the use of alcohol or drugs in an attempt to escape the unpleasant situation(1616 Westermann C, Kozak A, Harling M, Nienhaus. Burnout intervention studies for inpatient elderly care nursing staff: systematic literature review. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];5(1):63-71. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748912004294
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

Coping strategies that focus on the problem are effective for dealing with stressful situations, as seen in a study that found that nursing students who used coping strategies focused on resolving problems had lower means of stress compared to those who used strategies targeting emotions(1515 Gibbons C, Dempster M, Moutray M. Stress, coping and satisfaction in nursing students. J Adv Nurs [Internet]. 2011 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];67(3):621-32. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05495.x/epdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.11...
).

Another factor used by students to manage stressful situations was positive reappraisal, wherein they sought to find positive meaning or something that could be learned from the situation. With this coping factor, cognitive strategies involv-ing acceptance of reality and the situation are used. In such cases, the individual tries to restructure the event in order to find aspects that are personally beneficial, or they go over it in their mind to reduce the seriousness, or they concentrate on positive aspects of the situation(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.).

It was also noted that younger students who are satisfied with the course are those who most use the positive reap-praisal strategy. Students not satisfied with the course show themselves to be disinterested, discouraged, or wobbly about their choice of profession, being negatively influenced by the adversities they encounter(1616 Westermann C, Kozak A, Harling M, Nienhaus. Burnout intervention studies for inpatient elderly care nursing staff: systematic literature review. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];5(1):63-71. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748912004294
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
). It can be concluded that students satisfied with their future profession tend to confront difficulties by making the necessary adaptations, do not get discouraged in the face of difficulties, and seek to change themselves by adjusting positively to the situation(1717 Seco G, Pereira I, Dias I, Casimiro M, Custódio S. Para uma abordagem psicológica da transição do ensino secundário para o ensino superior: pontes e alçapões. Psicologia Educação [Internet]. 2005 Dec [cited 2014 Apr 15];4(1):7-21. Available from: https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstream/10400.8/55/1/ESTUD0%20IPL%20REVISTA%20UBI.pdf
https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstream/1...
).

In contrast, the fourth type of strategy used by the subjects in this study was denial of the problem/feelings, where the student denies the existence of the problem, ignores and hides his or her feelings, withdraws from people and uses, therefore, a negative strategy, resulting in abandoning the situation and surrendering to the problem. Individuals negate their feelings by suppressing reactions and impulses, thus avoiding the exacerbation of their feelings in an attempt to control their emotions(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.).

However, one study conducted among university students found that social support was the coping strategy most used by nursing students. This may be due to the specificity of the course, which has a human dimension involving cooperation, listening, and relationships, making it easier to resort to out-side help for problem solving(6Costa ES, Leal IP. Estratégias de coping em estudantes do Ensino Superior. Anál Psicol [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 Apr 15];24(2):189-99. Available from: http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v24n2a06.pdf
http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v...
). Seeking support and informa-tion in their social network was another one of the strategies used to cope with situations.

Other studies have shown that the social support factor is an important coping strategy for confronting and handling stressful situations, demonstrating that this dimension effectively contrib-utes toward the management and handling of stress(1818 Mimura C, Griffiths P. The effectiveness of current approaches to workplace stress management in the nursing profession: an evidence based literature review. 0c-cup Environ Med [Internet]. 2003 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];60(1):10-5. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740380/pdf/v060p00010.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles...
-1919 Sheu S, Lin HS, Hwang SL. Perceived stress and physio-psycho-social status of nursing students during their initial period of clinical practice: the effect of coping behaviors. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2002 Feb [cited 2014 Apr 15];39(2):165-75. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748901000165
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

The constructs that had the lowest means among the strategies used were distancing/distraction and acceptance/resignation, indicating that the students in this study try to somehow solve the situation by focusing on the problem or through control or management of the emotions, avoiding strategies that entail passively abandoning the situation or surrendering to the problem.

After trying to negatively adapt to a stressful situation, some students react passively, remaining apathetic in the face of the stressor. This interferes with their psychological, biological, and behavioral balance, leading to a decline in academic performance and undermining their quality of life. This overload of tasks and consequent decreased productivity causes students to abstain from certain personal activities in an effort to prevent being further worn down and overloaded with work. This reaction can be seen as harmful because, for the most part, the activities that the students discontinue are related to leisure and times of social interaction(9Monteiro CFS, Freitas JFM, Ribeiro AAP. [Stress in the Academic Daily: A Nursing Student View from the Federal University of Piauí - Brazil]. Esc Anna Nery [Internet]. 2007 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):66-72. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1a09.pdf Portuguese.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1...
).

Finally, the acceptance/resignation dimension had the smallest mean among the nursing students. In this scenario, the student lets go of the situation, decides that the problem is unalterable, and learns to live with it. This factor had the highest mean number of responses in the student group that does not identify with the profession. The student assumes that the reality of the situation is due to the wrong choice of course and recognizes his or her responsibility for what happened, believing that nothing can be done to change it, and passively accepting the state of affairs(2Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.).

It can be identified that one characteristic of coping strategies is that they try to manage the physical, psychological, and social effects caused by stressful events(2020 Gibbons C. Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2010 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];47(1):1299-309. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748910000830
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
). Thus, coping plays a vital role in the stress adjustment process, because the proper use of effective strategies leads to an adjustment of the situation and a normalization of emotions(2020 Gibbons C. Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2010 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];47(1):1299-309. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748910000830
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
). On the other hand, the use of inappropriate strategies negatively affects the health of individuals and intensifies the negative effects of stress(2020 Gibbons C. Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2010 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];47(1):1299-309. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748910000830
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/art...
).

CONCLUSION

The coping strategy most used by nursing students was escape. This strategy focuses on emotions, solves little, and is not very effective in managing the stressor. There was an association between the academic satisfaction variable and the coping strategies used by the nursing students. This fact warrants attention, because students who are satisfied with the course use positive coping strategies for the most part. In contrast, students who are dissatisfied with the nursing program use negative coping strategies focused on emotions rather than on the problem.

This study endeavors to provide a better understanding of the coping strategies used by nursing students, and their effectiveness, through a process of self-awareness. This process seeks to make students aware of the possibility of adjusting or replacing the strategies being used, according to the needs of the situations they are experiencing. This may result in an appropriate management process and subsequent positive adaptation to the threatening situation through the use of effective coping strategies. The limitations of this study are that it was conducted with a specific population of students from a public university in southern Brazil and, consequently, it is not possible to generalize the results.

  • How to cite this article:
    Hirsch CD, Barlem ELD, Almeida LK, Tomaschewski-Barlem JG, Figueira AB, Lunardi VL. Coping strategies of nursing students for dealing with university stress. Rev Bras Enferm. 2015;68(5):501-8.

REFERÊNCIAS

  • 1
    Pacheco S. [Stress and Coping in Nursing Students]. Referência [Internet]. 2008 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];2(1):89-95. Available from: https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo= Portuguese.
    » https://www.esenfc.pt/v02/pa/conteudos/downloadArtigo.php?id_ficheiro=235&codigo=
  • 2
    Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.
  • 3
    Flórez-Torres I, Herrera-Alarcón E, Carpio-Jiménez E, Veccino-Amador M, Zambrano-Barrios D, Reyes-Narváez Y, et al. [Coping and Adaptation in Patients Discharged from Intensive Care Units]. Aquichan [Internet]. 2011 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):23-39. Available from: http://aquichan.unisabana.edu.co/index.php/aquichan/article/view/1815/2382 Spanish.
    » http://aquichan.unisabana.edu.co/index.php/aquichan/article/view/1815/2382
  • 4
    Chang EM, Hancock KM, Johnson A, Daly J, Jackson D. Role stress in nurses: review of related factors and strategies for moving forward. Nurs Health Sci [Internet]. 2005 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];7(1):57-65. Available from: http://onlinelibra ry.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2005.00221.x/epdf
    » http://onlinelibra ry.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2005.00221.x/epdf
  • 5
    Por J, Barriball L, Fitzpatrick J, Roberts J. Emotional intelligence: its relationship to stress, coping, well-being and professional performance in nursing students. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2011 Nov [cited 2014 Apr 15];31(1):855-60. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a rticle/pii/S0260691711000086
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a rticle/pii/S0260691711000086
  • 6
    Costa ES, Leal IP. Estratégias de coping em estudantes do Ensino Superior. Anál Psicol [Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 Apr 15];24(2):189-99. Available from: http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v24n2a06.pdf
    » http://www.scielo.mec.pt/pdf/aps/v24n2/v24n2a06.pdf
  • 7
    Andolhe R, Guido LA, Bianchi ERF. Stress and coping in perioperative period of breast cancer. Rev Esc Enferm USP [Internet]. 2009 Sep [cited 2014 Apr 15];43(3):711-20. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reeusp/v43n3/en_a30v43n3.pdf
    » http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reeusp/v43n3/en_a30v43n3.pdf
  • 8
    Kristensen CH, Schaefer LS, Busnello FB. [Coping strategies and stress symptoms in adolescence]. Estud Psicol (Campinas) [Internet]. 2010 Jan-Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];27(1):21-30. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/estpsi/v27n1/v27n1a03.pdf Portuguese.
    » http://www.scielo.br/pdf/estpsi/v27n1/v27n1a03.pdf
  • 9
    Monteiro CFS, Freitas JFM, Ribeiro AAP. [Stress in the Academic Daily: A Nursing Student View from the Federal University of Piauí - Brazil]. Esc Anna Nery [Internet]. 2007 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];11(1):66-72. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1a09.pdf Portuguese.
    » http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ean/v11n1/v11n1a09.pdf
  • 10
    Shaban IA, Khater WA, Akhu-Zaheya LM. Undergraduate nursing students' stress sources and coping behaviours during their initial period of clinical training: a Jordanian perspective. Nurs Educ Pract [Internet]. 2012 Jul [cited 2014 Apr 15];12(4):204-9. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595312000078
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595312000078
  • 11
    Ramos SIV, Carvalho AJR. Nível de estresse e estratégias de coping dos estudantes do 1° ano do ensino universitário de Coimbra. Rev Psicol [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2014 Apr 15]: 1-10. Available from: http://www.psicologia.pt/artigos/textos/A0368.pdf
    » http://www.psicologia.pt/artigos/textos/A0368.pdf
  • 12
    Savóia MG, Santana PR, Mejinas MP. Adaptação do inventário de estratégias de coping de Folkman e Lazarus para o português. Psic USP [Internet]. 1996 [cited 2014 Apr 15];7(1-2):183-201. Available from: http://www.revistas.usp.br/psicousp/article/view/34538/37276
    » http://www.revistas.usp.br/psicousp/article/view/34538/37276
  • 13
    Díaz Martín Y. [Academic stress and coping in medical students]. Rev Hum Med [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2014 Apr 15]; 10(1). Available from: http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc070110.pdf Spanish.
    » http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/hmc/v10n1/hmc070110.pdf
  • 14
    Reeve KL, Shumaker CJ, Yearwood EL, Crowell NA, Riley JB. Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurs Educ Today [Internet]. 2013 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 15];33(4):419-24. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691712003826
  • 15
    Gibbons C, Dempster M, Moutray M. Stress, coping and satisfaction in nursing students. J Adv Nurs [Internet]. 2011 Mar [cited 2014 Apr 15];67(3):621-32. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05495.x/epdf
    » http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05495.x/epdf
  • 16
    Westermann C, Kozak A, Harling M, Nienhaus. Burnout intervention studies for inpatient elderly care nursing staff: systematic literature review. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];5(1):63-71. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748912004294
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748912004294
  • 17
    Seco G, Pereira I, Dias I, Casimiro M, Custódio S. Para uma abordagem psicológica da transição do ensino secundário para o ensino superior: pontes e alçapões. Psicologia Educação [Internet]. 2005 Dec [cited 2014 Apr 15];4(1):7-21. Available from: https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstream/10400.8/55/1/ESTUD0%20IPL%20REVISTA%20UBI.pdf
    » https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstream/10400.8/55/1/ESTUD0%20IPL%20REVISTA%20UBI.pdf
  • 18
    Mimura C, Griffiths P. The effectiveness of current approaches to workplace stress management in the nursing profession: an evidence based literature review. 0c-cup Environ Med [Internet]. 2003 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 15];60(1):10-5. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740380/pdf/v060p00010.pdf
    » http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740380/pdf/v060p00010.pdf
  • 19
    Sheu S, Lin HS, Hwang SL. Perceived stress and physio-psycho-social status of nursing students during their initial period of clinical practice: the effect of coping behaviors. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2002 Feb [cited 2014 Apr 15];39(2):165-75. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748901000165
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748901000165
  • 20
    Gibbons C. Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students. Int J Nurs Stud [Internet]. 2010 Oct [cited 2014 Apr 15];47(1):1299-309. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748910000830
    » http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748910000830

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    Sep-Oct 2015

History

  • Received
    15 Apr 2015
  • Accepted
    24 May 2015
Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem SGA Norte Quadra 603 Conj. "B" - Av. L2 Norte 70830-102 Brasília, DF, Brasil, Tel.: (55 61) 3226-0653, Fax: (55 61) 3225-4473 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: reben@abennacional.org.br