Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the stress level and coping strategies among undergraduate Saudi female nursing students during their clinical education.
Design and methods: In this study, a descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was used. The Demographic Information Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and Coping Behavior Inventory were completed by 121 female Saudi undergraduate nursing students.
Findings: The findings showed that stress from taking care of the patient subscale (M = 12.0, SD = 5.0) was ranked the highest mean among all perceived stress subscale scores. The most commonly used coping strategies among nursing students in clinical practice was a problem-solving strategy (M = 15.8, SD = 4.3).
Practice implications: Facilitating the use of effective coping strategies in nursing students will promote quality of care for their patients.
Keywords: Saudi Arabia; clinical education; coping; nursing; stress; students.
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