This study was performed to identify the level of stress of clinical practice and clinical competency and the relationships between stress of clinical practice and clinical competency in nursing students.
The subjects of this study were 379 senior nursing students in 2 nursing colleges in M city. The data were collected from November 5th to 24th, 2000, using questionnaire.
The instruments used were the Stress of Clinical Practice Scale and the Clinical Competency Measurement Tool.
The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson´s Correlation Coefficient, using the SPSS program.
The results of the study were as follows ;
1. The mean score for the level of stress of clinical practice was 3.83 points. The stress of clinical practice were classified into six dimensions and their order of getting score was nurse(3.99), relationship between nursing theory and practice(3.94), human relationship (3.92), clinical education and evaluation by professors(3.87), environment(3.70), and patient(3.59).
2. The mean score for the level of clinical competency was 3.91 points. The clinical competency were classified into five dimensions and their order of getting score was professional development(4.08), skills(4.06), interpersonal relationship/communication(3.95), teaching/coordinating(3.81), and nursing process(3.70).
3. The stress of clinical practice showed significant difference in the score of grade (t=-2.82, p=.005), interpersonal relationship (t=1.97. p=.049) and satisfaction of major(F=3.38, p=.035) of nursing students.
4. The clinical competency showed significant difference in the score of grade(t=-5.97, p=.000), interpersonal relationship (t = 3.64. p=.000) and satisfaction of major(F=8.73, p=.000) of nursing students.
5. The data showed the positive correlations between stress of clinical practice and clinical competency (r =. 209, p=.000).
In conclusion, this study found that the stress of clinical practice was significantly related to clinical competency in nursing students. Therefore further study is needed to examine the efficient coping strategies about stress of clinical practice in nursing students.
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