Exploring the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Academic Achievement among Critical Care Nursing Students

Critical care nursing students are prone to stressors during their academic and clinical experience which may interfere with their learning process. The aim of this study is to explore the stress level and stressors of critical care nursing students in King Saud Ben Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, and to pinpoint the relationship between stress and academic achievement. Sixty nursing enrolled in Critical care nursing course students were included in the study. A self-reported questionnaire namely; developed by the researchers to explore the relationship between perceived stress and academic achievement. Sixty five percent of the respondents had low stress level, and 68.3% had multiple health problems during the critical care nursing course. The total mean of stress level was 20.40±3.98, and the mean of perceived stressors was 61.23±17.84. There was statistical significant difference between the stress level and perceived stressors where p<0.001 but there was no significant correlation between students’ perceived stressors and academic achievement. Critical care nursing students experienced low to moderate stress level with no impact on their academic achievement.