Problems Facing Intern Nursing Students and Its Relation with their Perceived Stress

Background: Internship period is very crucial for every intern nursing student as it
presents the first contact with reality and helps in shaping and enhancing their clinical skills
and experience.Aim: Assessing problems facing intern nursing students and its relation with
their Perceived stress during internship year.Subjects and Methods: A descriptive
correlational research design with a convenient sample of 303 intern nursing students at Beni
Suif university hospital was recruited to conduct the study. Two data collection tools were
used; the first tool was problems facing intern nursing student questionnaire, the second was
perceived stress scale.Results: The overall mean score of problems facing intern nursing
students was (145.27) with a standard deviation (11.34) with a mean percent (77.2%)
indicating higher problems faced by the students. These problems were related to internship
year goals and objectives, collaboration between faculty and hospital staff, collaboration
approaches between faculty and hospital staff, and orientation period, etc. More than three
quarters (77.5%) of intern nursing students reported high level of stress. There was a
statistically significant positive correlation between intern nursing students problems and
their perceived stress (r=0.557, p < /span>=0.000).Conclusion: There was a high level of problems
faced by intern nursing students, thus increasing their stress level. These alarming problems
require creative and innovative strategies to overcome.Recommendation: Opening
continuous communication channels between faculty members, hospital staff members
and
students for developing solutions to get rid of these problems and to achieve the goals
and
objectives of the internship year effectively and efficiently