Study of stress, coping and psychosomatic health among would-be baccalaureate nurses

UNLABELLED: Stress is a risk factor that may endanger our quality of life and health. Certain occupational groups are particularly concerned, such as health care workers. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the stress load and coping strategies of nurses as well as their psychosomatic health. METHOD: The questionnaire survey was performed at the University of Szeged. The sample consisted of 208 nursing students (136 part-time and 72 full-time students). The self-completed questionnaire included items of psychosomatic symptoms, coping strategies and stress load. RESULTS: Persons characterized by high level of stress and more frequent psychosomatic symptoms tended to use inadaptive ways of coping more often; whereas those with a relatively lower stress level and fewer symptoms were not characterized by a more frequent use of active ways of coping but instead a lack of the inadaptive coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that vulnerability of the would-be baccalaureate nurses in this sample was especially high because they even used less effectively the ways of coping that otherwise aimed at both problem solving and maintaining their own health.