Coping, Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviours, and Sleep Patterns (CoPES) of Undergraduate Nursing Students While in Practicum

Clinical education experiences are an integral component of undergraduate nursing education, typically involving high stress. Higher perceived stress levels are associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms, concentration difficulties, and disordered eating. This study explored the coping mechanisms, perceived stress, eating behaviours, and sleep characteristics of 24 4th year undergraduate nursing students. Data was collected through an online questionnaire, which included four published scales related to coping, perceived stress, and sleep. Participants also responded to demographic questions and open-ended questions focused on sleep, stress, coping, and eating. There was a wide variation in perceived stress among students. Perceived stress, coping strategies, and eating habits appear to be closely related. Poor coping strategies increased the likelihood of being stressed, and participants with high stress were more likely to have poor eating habits. Sleep was a significant issue for most participants. Although the smaller sample size limits generalizability of the findings, results indicate further study is warranted.