Authors

Cristina Bohórquez Moreno1, Jacqueline Hernández-Escolar2, Yolanda Muvdi Muvdi3, Eynick Malvaceda Frías3, Xilene Mendoza Sánchez4, Kendy Madero Zambrano5

Position

1Enfermera. Magister en Farmacología. Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez. Campus de Barranquilla (Colombia) 2Bacterióloga. Magíster en Salud Pública. Universidad de San Buenaventura, Cartagena (Colombia) 3Enfermera. Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez. Campus de Barranquilla (Colombia)4Química Farmacéutica. Magister en Ciencias Básicas Biomédicas. Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez. Campus de Barranquilla (Colombia) 5Enfermera. Magister en Auditoría y Sistemas de Calidad en Servicio de Salud. Corporación Universitaria Rafael Núñez. Campus de Cartagena (Colombia)

Contact address

Cristina Bohórquez Moreno. Quintas II de la Villa Campestre, Casa 5. 081007 Barranquilla-Atlántico (Colombia).

Contact email: cristinabohorquezmoreno@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between the stress perceived and the coping strategies used by Nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at a university in Cartagena, Colombia. The sample size was calculated at 302 participants. A survey was applied regarding demographical data, a Stress Coping Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale-10. The tests used in order to calculate the association were Student’s t, ANOVA one-way, Tukey test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05.
Results: the study included 302 participants (100%), out of which 94% were female, 80.1% were 15-to-24 years old, 82.5% had low socioeconomic level, 73.2% came from urban areas, and 67.9% had a nuclear family. The level of stress among students was moderate, with 19.1 (SD: 4.9) as average, and higher for 15-to-19-year old students (p= 0.01). Coping strategies were significantly different according to gender, age, type of family and environment (rural/urban); no differences were found in terms of socioeconomic level. The stress perceived was directly correlated with the coping strategy of negative self-targeting (r= 0.41; p< 0.001) and open emotional expression (r= 0.38; p< 0.001); and it was negatively correlated with localized problem solving (r= -0.25; p< 0.001); religion (r= -0.26; p< 0.05) and search for social support (r= -0.11; p< 0.05).
Conclusion: there is a relationship between the levels of stress perceived and the use of coping strategies among students. Overall, the search for social support, religion and problem solving will reduce the level of stress perceived by students.

Keywords:

Nursing students; psychological stress; psychological adaptation; stress coping; COVID-19Perceived Stress Scale-10

Versión en Español

Título:

Asociación entre estrés percibido y estrategias de afrontamiento en estudiantes de enfermería en tiempos de COVID-19