Comparison of stress in freshman and senior nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: To compare stress levels in freshman and senior nursing students. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a public federal university of the state of Bahia, with students who answered questionnaires about sociodemographic variables, academic life, and a scale for assessing stress in nursing students. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to analyze the relationship between variables. To assess proportional trends between ordinal variables and groups, a chi-square test for linear trend was applied. The significance level was 5%. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-four students participated in the study. There was a tendency to higher stress levels among students in the last year compared to those in the first year, in four out of six domains: Performance of Practical Activities (p=0.00), Professional Communication (p=0.00), Environment (p=0.00) and Professional Education (p=0.00). CONCLUSION: High levels of stress were observed in students taking the last year. There is a need for broader research that includes other years of the course, an institutional reflection on stress factors and the adoption of an institutional policy that favors a better confrontation of stress factors.

Comparison of stress in freshman and senior nursing students / Comparación del estrés en universitarios de enfermería de primer año y egresos de la carrera / Comparação do estresse em universitários de enfermagem ingressantes e concluintes do curso

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare stress levels in freshman and senior nursing students. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a public federal university of the state of Bahia, with students who answered questionnaires about sociodemographic variables, academic life, and a scale for assessing stress in nursing students. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to analyze the relationship between variables. To assess proportional trends between ordinal variables and groups, a chi-square test for linear trend was applied. The significance level was 5%. Results: One hundred and fifty-four students participated in the study. There was a tendency to higher stress levels among students in the last year compared to those in the first year, in four out of six domains: Performance of Practical Activities (p=0.00), Professional Communication (p=0.00), Environment (p=0.00) and Professional Education (p=0.00). Conclusion: High levels of stress were observed in students taking the last year. There is a need for broader research that includes other years of the course, an institutional reflection on stress factors and the adoption of an institutional policy that favors a better confrontation of stress factors.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Comparar el nivel de estrés de universitarios de enfermería de primer año y egresos de la carrera. Método: Estudio transversal, desarrollado en una universidad pública federal, del Estado de Bahía, con estudiantes que respondieron a cuestionarios acerca de variables sociodemográficas, vida académica y la escala para la Evaluación de Estrés en Estudiantes de Enfermería. Para valorar las relaciones entre las variables, se emplearon las pruebas de Chi cuadrado de Pearson y Exacta de Fisher. A fin de verificar tendencias proporcionales entre variables del tipo ordinal y los grupos, se utilizó la Prueba Chi cuadrado de Tendencia Lineal. El nivel de significación estadística fue del 5%. Resultados: Participaron 154 estudiantes. Hubo tendencia a un mayor nivel de estrés en estudiantes del último año comparados con los del primero, en cuatro de los seis dominios: Realización de las actividades prácticas (p=0,00), Comunicación profesional (p=0,00), Ambiente (p=0,00) y Formación profesional (p=0,00). Conclusión: Se constataron niveles elevados de estrés en el último año. Se subraya la necesidad de ampliación de la investigación a otros años de la carrera, la reflexión institucional acerca de los factores de estrés y la adopción de una política institucional que facilite un mejor enfrentamiento de dichos factores.

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar o nível de estresse de universitários de enfermagem ingressantes e concluintes do curso. Método: Estudo transversal, desenvolvido em uma universidade pública federal, do estado da Bahia, com estudantes que responderam a questionários sobre variáveis sociodemográficas, vida acadêmica e a escala para Avaliação de Estresse em Estudantes de Enfermagem. Para avaliar as relações entre as variáveis empregaram-se os testes do Qui-quadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fisher. Para verificar tendências proporcionais entre variáveis do tipo ordinal e os grupos utilizou-se do Teste Qui-Quadrado de Tendência Linear. O nível de significância estatística foi de 5%. Resultados: Participaram 154 estudantes. Houve tendência a maior nível de estresse em estudantes do último ano comparados aos do primeiro, em quatro dos seis domínios: Realização das atividades práticas (p=0,00), Comunicação profissional (p=0,00), Ambiente (p=0,00) e Formação profissional (p=0,00). Conclusão: Constatou-se níveis elevados de estresse no último ano. Ressalta-se a necessidade de ampliação da investigação para outros anos do curso, a reflexão institucional sobre os fatores estressores e a adoção de uma política institucional que propicie melhor enfrentamento dos estressores.