Authors

1Francisca María García Padilla, 2Rafaela Camacho Bejarano, 3Margarita Rodríguez Pérez, 4Eva Cayetano Matamoros

Position

¹Doctoranda en Ciencias de la Salud. Profesora Titular de Escuela Universitaria. Departamentode Enfermería. Universidad de Huelva.²Doctoranda del Departamento de Enfermería. Máster Oficial en Ciencias de la Enfermería. Personal Docente e Investigador FPDI. Universidad de Huelva.³Doctora. Profesora colaboradora. Departamento de Enfermería. Universidad de Huelva.⁴Enfermera. Máster en Ciencias de la Enfermería. Hospital Rey Juan Carlos de Móstoles (Madrid).

Contact address

Francisca María García Padilla. Facultad de Enfermería. Universidad de Huelva. Campus El Carmen. Avd. Tres de marzo, s/n. 21071 Huelva.

Contact email: fmgarcia@uhu.es

Abstract

Leaving home to start a university career may be considered a potential source of stress, described by NANDA as “Relocation Stress Syndrome” (RSS).
Objective: to determine the prevalence of RSS in Nursing Degree students, and its relationship with socio-demographic factors, social support and personal development.
Method: a descriptive study was conducted with students in the first year of their Nursing degree in the Universidad de Huelva, classified according to their having to move in order to study. A questionnaire was applied, which collects RSS indicators grouped into ten different dimensions, and the indicators for the rest of variables. Minimal and maximum scores were established for each dimension, and the cut-off point was determined in order to assign the RSS diagnostic label.
Results: information was obtained from 111 students (69 moves), with a 1.45% prevalence of RSS. The most altered dimensions were sleep pattern (91.9%), difficulties in concentration (91.2%) and eating pattern (73.9%). There were significant differences between the score in the RSS scale and gender (F= 5.92, p< 0.018), the self-perception of health (F= 4.26, p< 0.018) and personality characteristics (F= 1.82; p< 0.043). Significant differences were also observed in some of the general stress indicators between students who had moved and those living at the family home.
Conclusions: overall, the prevalence of RSS is very low; but altered indicators can be observed with high frequency, which allow identifying the relocation situation as a source of discomfort for students.

Keywords:

Relocation Stress Syndrome; stress management; Nursing studentssocial support: mental health

Versión en Español

Título:

Síndrome del estrés de traslado en estudiantes de Enfermería