Nursing student stress is often caused by the heavy workload, long hours and pressure to perform well. Proactive strategies for managing stress in nursing students can help, such as maintaining a consistent schedule, prioritizing sleep, avoiding alcohol, spending time with friends and seeking professional mental health counseling.
If you’ve decided to become a nurse, you might find learning how to navigate nursing school difficult, but the experience will be infinitely rewarding.
If you’re in an accelerated program, such as Averett University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, the pressure can feel more intense because of the expedited timeline. While the program is fast-paced, there are many benefits to earning a nursing degree through an ABSN.
As Lindsey, an Averett graduate, notes, “I’ll be done in a very short amount of time… [and will] have a degree and certification that I can move to different states with.” Averett’s ABSN allows you to start working as a professional registered nurse fast.
You will have ample support from our dedicated faculty throughout the ABSN program; however, utilizing stress management techniques can instill the motivation and confidence you need to excel.
Stress in nursing is quite common. Students are under considerable pressure during this time. Although managing nursing student stress may be challenging, you can do it — particularly if you take a proactive approach to addressing the problem right from the start of your first semester.
Understanding Nursing Student Stress
You’re likely to encounter stressed nursing students at school. Nursing school stress is often due to the significant workload, which requires studying for long hours, attending nursing skills and simulation labs and working through clinical rotations. The workload is especially demanding in an ABSN program, which condenses a bachelor’s-level curriculum into 16 months.
You’ll spend most of your free time studying because you’ll need to learn a large volume of information in a relatively short time. Other common reasons for stress in nursing students include:
- Poor school/life balance
- Limited time for social activities and self-care
- Fear of making mistakes in clinical settings
- Fear of unknown clinical situations
- High pressure to perform well
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The Impact of Stress in Nursing Students
Severe or chronic stress isn’t healthy for anyone; it can have cognitive, emotional, academic and even physical consequences. Here’s a look at the potential impacts:
- Cognitive: Cognitive consequences of severe or chronic stress include problems with concentration and focus and a reduced ability to learn and retain information.
- Academic: Academic consequences include trouble meeting deadlines, retaining knowledge and performing well in labs and clinicals. Nursing school burnout is often characterized by declining grades, frequent absenteeism and missed assignment deadlines.
- Emotional: Stress can contribute to mood swings, anxiety and depressive disorders, insomnia, social isolation and irritability. Stress can also lead to burnout in nursing students, a condition often indicated by a withdrawal from daily activities and a feeling of detachment or disengagement.
- Physical: The mind and body aren’t separate; they are closely linked. The severe or chronic stress of nursing students may cause physical issues, including gastrointestinal problems, fatigue, headaches, changes in appetite and elevated blood pressure.
These potential consequences of chronic stress undoubtedly seem alarming. However, acknowledging the effects of stress is the first step toward identifying and understanding problems when they occur.
Focus on caring for your wellness and reaching out for support when you need it. You can employ effective strategies to proactively practice better stress management.
Strategies and Tips for Managing Nursing School Stress
Although nursing students and stress might go together, the problem isn’t insurmountable. Ideally, you’ll head into nursing school with a firm understanding of what to expect and how to cope. You can use several strategies to reduce and better manage your stress, such as the following.
1. Follow a Predictable Routine
One proactive strategy to avoid becoming a stressed nursing student is to establish a consistent, predictable routine from the start. Use a daily planner or a time management app to organize your weekly schedule in advance.
Block off time for classes, labs, clinical rotations, solo and group study and NCLEX prep sessions. Get into the habit of making the most of the time you have so you don’t fall behind, a major source of stress in nursing.
2. Prioritize Your Quantity and Quality of Sleep
Sleep is vital to your well-being. Too often, nursing students decide to cut down on sleep so they can fit in more study time. However, this practice can negatively affect academic performance by causing problems with concentration, focus, learning retention and memory.
Instead, make sleep a priority at nursing school. Observing this habit can also benefit you throughout your career. Maintain consistent sleep/wake times, invest in blackout curtains and use a white noise machine. Avoid watching TV, reading or studying in bed. If you’re experiencing insomnia, consider talking to your primary care doctor about treatment options.
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3. Limit or Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine and Sugar
Self-care is critical to coping with nursing student stress. Make the same healthy lifestyle choices you would advise your future patients to make. Avoid or limit alcohol, caffeine and sugary food. Avoiding alcohol and limiting caffeine starting in the afternoon will also help you get better sleep each night.
4. Make Time for Friends
One common reason for the strong connection between nursing students and stress is the schedule’s effect on one’s social life. Although you will be busy during nursing school, setting aside at least a little time to spend with friends is important. People are social creatures who need genuine human connections. Try to meet with a friend once per week to catch up and unwind.
5. Exercise Outdoors Regularly
Spending time and exercising outside in green environments are important self-care strategies. You can save time by enjoying both simultaneously. Go for a hike in a nature preserve or a jog through a park several times per week.
Studies have indicated that “green exercise” can improve mental wellness and physical health by contributing to better stress management. Plus, you’ll love getting fresh air and sunshine after studying indoors.
6. Seek Counseling Before You Feel Too Overwhelmed
Caring for your mental wellness on your own isn’t always possible. Sometimes having some outside help is best. If you find yourself increasingly stressed, look for counseling options, ideally before you feel so overwhelmed that you experience burnout or significant effects on your mental health.
Talking to a mental health counselor in person can be effective, but if you need to save time, consider telehealth counseling. You could also explore your school’s student mental health services or find a counselor who offers discounts to students in healthcare programs.
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Averett’s Unique Approach
At Averett University, our focus is on thoroughly preparing future nurses to be compassionate, socially responsible leaders, ready to tackle modern nursing challenges. Because our ABSN program follows a rapid pace — designed to allow graduation in as few as 16 months — we pay particular attention to giving our nursing students holistic support to mitigate nursing school stress.
You’ll find a highly supportive learning community at Averett’s ABSN Learning Center. Our faculty members are experienced nursing instructors dedicated to going above and beyond to support our students. Here, you’ll have all the resources you need to navigate nursing school.
Begin Your Nursing Journey at Averett Today
Our holistic support system, designed to address the stress of nursing students, isn’t the only thing to love about Averett’s ABSN program. Here, you’ll benefit from values-based nursing education intended to produce highly competent and compassionate leaders.
To be successful in the accelerated BSN program, Averett graduate Aliyah Rivers recommends remembering “why you want to be a nurse… [and making] sure you have a great support system to help you achieve your goals.”
Our online coursework, paired with in-person learning components, provides both flexibility and convenience. With three start dates each year and no waitlist, you can get started sooner than you might think. Contact our admissions counselors today for personalized assistance in navigating the admissions process.