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Effectiveness of Aerobic Exercises on Stress

and Subjective Well Being Among the Nursing Students at Canadore College

Esther Regina

A00138971

International Nursing License Preparation, Canadore College

NLP 100: Communication for Health Care Professional

Professor Jesse Arnett

October 12, 2022

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Effectiveness of Aerobic Exercises on Stress

and Subjective Well Being Among the Nursing Students at Canadore College

Everyday life involves some level of stress. It is frequently perceived as a negative

emotion, but stress is necessary for survival. Having to deal with threats and frightening

circumstances motivates the person and may even improve their performance. Stress is a

condition of physical and mental exhaustion that places expectations on the person to make

adjustments. According to reports, academic, clinical, and financial stressors have an impact

on student nurses because of family expectations, academic competitiveness, and career

decisions.

Exams, extended study sessions, homework, grades, a lack of free time, failure to

receive feedback on one's performance in a timely manner, and unique aspects of the

academic programme, such as the planning and execution of workshops, are all sources of

academic stress. Clinical stressors include taking care of unwell patients, interpersonal

conflict with peer groups, insecurity over one's clinical competence, dread of completing

clinical requirements, dealing with recalcitrant patients, work overload, prolonged standing,

and developing psychomotor skills. For instance, changing the bed, taking a bath, and

checking vital signs have all been linked to high levels of stress.

Need for the study

According to National League for Nursing, 2012, annual Survey of Schools of

Nursing, 29% of students in 2009, 27% of students in 2010 and 24% of students in 2011 are

enrolled in basic RN programs. Lo (2002) investigated the perception and sources of stress,

coping mechanisms, and self-esteem among 101 nursing students in Athens Medical School.

The data were collected during class periods through questionnaires. The results of the study

revealed the top stressor to be the nursing studies with 81(80.1%), financial problems 61

(60%), lack of time for family/ friends 49(48.51%) and health issues 37 (36.63%). Most of
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the students reported problem focused coping as their method of stress relief which included

recreation/ sports, problem solving, and social support. 73 (72.27%) had support from family

and friends while 4 (3.96%) of the students had no support of any kind.

Goals and Objectives

The long-term to goal is to reduce the stress among the nursing students. High stress

levels and related mental health conditions can threaten the well-being of nurses and their

patients. The short-term goal for this study would be to educate nursing students about the

stress and stressors they would be facing in their daily lives and the way to deal with them in

any possible way.

In this communication plan to assess the effectiveness of prevention of stress among

nursing students and to assess the effectiveness of aerobic exercises on stress among nursing

students. We would be giving out a questionnaire to all the students to assess the stress levels

in those students (Appendix 1).

Target population

The sampling was chosen using both inclusive and exclusive criteria. Nursing

students who are willing to participate, nursing students at Canadore college, nursing students

who can write, speak, and read in English, and nursing students older than the age range of 18

to 26 would be the students in the included criterion and the main audience. Nursing students

who are physically ill at the time of data collection and those who do not want to participate

in the study would fall under the exclusive criteria. Their parents and lecturers are the

secondary audience since they can support and encourage them as they study and exercise

aerobically.

Key messages

In this study, there are primarily four main messages. They must educate the nurses

about the stress and stressors they experience on a daily basis, help them recognise their own
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stressors, teach them coping mechanisms, and show them how to use aerobic exercise as a

stress reliever. These would enable the nursing students to manage stress and focus on their

academics, assignments, clinical placements, and personal lives.

Action plan

First, prior approval should be secured from the college's administration after a

thorough explanation of the study's objectives. Each nursing student was initially introduced,

and the study's goal was described. The participant's informed consent was obtained. The

Canadore College's D-wing classroom will be used for the action plan. The pre-test for this

programme should take 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The pre-test questionnaire (Appendix-

2,3,4) which has Likert scaling questions and student stress index scale is distributed to the

30 nursing students by our two colleagues on the day of the test. Coefficient of correlation

will be used to find out the stress. Chi square will be used to test the level of stress and

subjective well-being among the nursing students. The stress levels will be assessed by the

therapist. Then, for a month, daily in the evenings for a half-hour, the exercises—which

primarily involve Zumba—are done with the students while watching an aerobics video and

these exercises are done under supervision of the Zumba trainer. The students take a Post-test

(Appendix-2,3,4) after a month to see whether aerobic exercise helps nursing students

decrease stress. You can see the tasks and duties of each team member here (Appendix-4).

Evaluation strategies

The purpose of pre and post-discussion questionnaires is to assess the level of

understanding about stress and stressors. A pre-test is administered prior to the start of the

programme, and a post-test is administered following the aerobics session. It will allow us to

assess how much information nursing students learn about stress management. We will

compare pre and post-test data to determine the effectiveness of the programme. The post-test

questionnaires will contain the same questions as the pre-test questionnaires on the same
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Likert scale and the student stress index scale. At the end of the study, nursing students'

feedback is also collected to learn about the study's shortcomings and strengths

Conclusion

The nursing students require assistance in reducing stress levels through interventions

such as aerobic exercises. Nursing educators should provide adequate avenues to assist

nursing students in reducing stress and increasing subjective well-being, which is not done

adequately in their daily lives. Peers and parents can also help with stress management by

having a conversation to the student as well as learning about their stress levels.  According

to research, nursing students use a variety of coping strategies, including talking to friends,

sports, crying, ignoring stress, feelings of sadness/misery, and alcohol use, which can be

adaptive or maladaptive. According to some studies, problem solving is the most commonly

used strategy among nursing students. Others speak of emotion-focused coping strategies,

while others believe that transference, optimism, and problem solving are the most commonly

used strategies among nursing students. Because nursing students' coping strategies affect

their physical and mental health, as well as the quality of care they provide, identifying

nursing students' coping strategies is critical for early intervention. Coping must be

investigated in the context of dealing with a specific stress.

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References

Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1985). If it changes it must be a process: study of emotion

and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of personality

and social psychology, 48(1), 150.

Fornes-Vives, J., Garcia-Banda, G., Frias-Navarro, D., & Rosales-Viladrich, G. (2016).

Coping, stress, and personality in Spanish nursing students: A longitudinal

study. Nurse education today, 36, 318-323.

IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research: World Wide Journals. World Wide

Journal - IJSR. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2022, from

https://www.worldwidejournals.com/international-journal-of-scientific-research-

(IJSR)/

Jan, L. K., & Popescu, L. (2014). Israel's Nursing Students' Stress Sources and Coping

Strategies During Their First Clinical Experience in Hospital Wards-A Qualitative

Research. Social Work Review/Revista de Asistenta Sociala, 13(4).

Lazarus R. S. (1993). Coping theory and research: past, present, and future.

Psychosomatic medicine, 55(3), 234-247. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-

199305000-00002

Ni, C., Lo, D., Liu, X., Ma, J., Xu, S., & Li, L. (2012). Chinese female nursing students'

coping strategies, self-esteem and related factors in different years of

school. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 2(4), 33.

Reeve, K. L., Shumaker, C. J., Yearwood, E. L., Crowell, N. A., & Riley, J. B. (2013).

Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational

experiences. Nurse education today, 33(4), 419-424.

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Appendix-(1)

1. Age in years

2. Birth order

a) First

b) Second

c) Third and above

3. Does medium of instruction pose a problem to you?

a) Yes

b) No

4. Academic performance are on date?

a) Passed without any failure

b) Failed in certain subject

5. Do you make friends easily?

a) Yes

b) No

6. How do you rate your relationship with your teachers?

a) Good

b) Average

c) Poor

7. Do you suffer with any illness?

a) Yes

b) No

9. Did you experience any painful event in the recent within one year?

a) Death of a loved one

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b) Failure in love

c) Academic failure

d) Any other? Specify?

e) None

10. Do you practice any of these regularly

a) Prayer

b) Exercise

c) Outdoor games

d) Any other Specify

e) None

11. State the availability of your parents?

a) Both are alive

b) Only mother is alive

c) Only Mother is alive

d) Both are not alive

12. Have you ever witnessed any conflict between your mother and father?
a) Yes

b) No
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Appendix-(2)

Subjective well-being scale

1. Do you feel your life is interesting?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

2. Do you think you have achieved the standard of living and the social status that you

had expected?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

3. How do you feel about the extent to which you have achieved success and are getting

ahead?

a. Very good

b. Quite good

c. Not so good

4. Do you normally accomplish what you want to?

a. Most of the time

b. Sometimes

c. Hardly ever

5. Compared with the past, do you feel your present life is:

a. Very happy

b. Quite happy
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c. Not so happy

6. On the whole, how happy are you with the things you have been doing in recent years?

a. Very happy

b. Quote happy

c. Not so happy

1. Do you feel you can manage situations even when they do not turn out as expected?

a. Most of the time

b. Sometimes

c. Hardly ever

2. Do you feel confident that in the case of crisis (anything which substantially upsets

your life situation) you will be able to cope with it/face it boldly?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

9.The way things are going now do you feel confident in coping with the future?

Very much

a. To some extent

b. Not so much

10. Do you sometimes feel that you and the things around you belong very much

together and are integral parts of a common force?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

11. Do you sometimes experience moments of intense happiness almost like a kind of

ecstasy or bliss?
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a. Quite often

b. Sometimes

c. Hardly ever

12. Do you sometimes experience a joyful feeling of being part of mankind as of one

large family?

a. Quite often

b. Sometimes

c. Hardly ever

13. Do you feel confident that relatives and/or friends will help you out if there is an

emergency, e.g.: if you lose what you have by fire or theft?

a. Very much

b. Time extent

c. Not so much

14. How do you feel about the relationship you and your children have?

a. Very good

b. Quite good

c. Not so good

d. Not applicable

15. Do you feel confident that relatives and friends will look after you if you are

severely ill or meet with accident?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

16. Do you get easily upset if things don't turn out as expected?

a. Very much
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b. To some extent

c. Not so much

17. Do you sometimes feel sad without a reason?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

18. Do you feel too easily irritated, too sensitive?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

19. Do you feel disturbed by feelings of anxiety and tension?

a. Most of the time

b. Sometimes

c. Hardly ever

20. Do you consider it a problem for you that you sometimes lose your temper over

minor things?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

21. Do you consider your family a source of help to you in finding solutions to most

of the problems you have?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much
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22. Do you think that most of the members of your family feel closely attached to one

another?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

23. Do you think you will be looked after well by your family if in case you become

seriously ill?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

24. Do you feel your life is boring/ uninterested?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

25. Do you worry about your future?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

26. Do you feel your life is useless?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

27. Do you worry about your relationship with your husband?

a. Very much

b. To some extent
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c. Not so much

d. Not applicable

28. Do you feel your friends/relatives would help you out if you were in need?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

29. Do you sometimes worry about the relationship you and your children have?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

d. Not applicable

30. Do you feel minor things upset you more than necessary?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

31. Do you get easily upset if you are critised?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

32. Would you wish t have more friends than you actually have?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

33. Do you sometimes felt that you miss a real close friend?
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a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

34. Do you sometimes worry about your health?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

35. Do you suffer from pains in various parts of your body?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

36. Are you disturbed by palpitations?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

37.Are you disturbed by feeling of giddiness?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

38. Do you feel you get tired easily?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

39. Are you troubled by disturbed sleep?

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a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much

40. Do you sometimes worry that you do not have close personal

relationship with other people?

a. Very much

b. To some extent

c. Not so much
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Appendix- 3

STUDENT NURSES STRESS INDEX

SN ITEM NOT EXTREM

O STRESS ELY
FULL STRESSF
UL
1 Amount of classwork to be 1 2 3 4 5
learned
2 Difficulty of classwork material 1 2 3 4 5
to be learned
3 Examination or grades 1 2 3 4 5
4 Attitudes and expectations of 1 2 3 4 5
other professionals towards the
profession
5 Peer competiton 1 2 3 4 5
6 Lack of free time 1 2 3 4 5
7 College response to students 1 2 3 4 5
needs
8 Fear of failing in course 1 2 3 4 5
9 Actual personal health 1 2 3 4 5
problems
10 physical health of family 1 2 3 4 5
members
11 Relationship with parents 1 2 3 4 5
12 Other personal problems 1 2 3 4 5
13 Relationship with other 1 2 3 4 5
professionals
14 Too much of responsibility 1 2 3 4 5
15 Lack of timely feedback about 1 2 3 4 5
performance

CLINICAL PERFORMANCE:

SN ITEM NOT EXTRE

O STRESSF MELY
UL STRESS
FUL
16 Client attitude towards me 1 2 3 4 5
17 Clients attitude toward my 1 2 3 4 5
profession
18 Atmosphere created by 1 2 3 4 5
teaching staff
19 Relations with staff in 1 2 3 4 5
clinical area
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OTHER ACADEMIC AND RELATED ITEMS:

SN ITEM NOT EXTRE

O STRESSF MELY
UL STRESS
FUL
20 I am not sure what is expected 1 2 3 4 5
out of me
21 I have no time for 1 2 3 4 5
entertainment
22 I have no enough time for my 1 2 3 4 5
family
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Appendix-4

RACI Chart

RACI CHART

TASK TEAM MEMBERS

COLLEGUE COLLEGUE ZUMBA THERAPIST

1 2 TRAINER
Printing C A/R
materials
Pre-test R R A
Aerobic A/R C
exercises
Post-test R R A
Obtaining I I A/R
Feedback

Responsible R
Accountable A
Consult C
Informed I
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Appendix-5

Situation analysis worksheet

Communication goal The objectives are to assess the effectiveness of

stress prevention among nursing students and the
effectiveness of aerobic exercises on stress among
nursing students.
Target audience 1. Primary- Nursing students at Canadore
college
2. Secondary- Parents and educators of the
nursing students
Audience analysis 1. Age range- 18-26 years old
2. Gender – both male and females
3. Ethnic and background - all.
Language The test is taken in English language as it is the
most preferred language in North Bay.
Budget The budget would be around $1000. It may also
cost more to hire a Zumba instructor and a
therapist, as well as to provide water bottles after
each aerobics session.
Team members 1. Two colleagues
2. Zumba trainer
3. Therapist
People involved in the study 1. Nursing students
2. Parents
3. Lecturers/educators
Timeframe One month (every evening)

Resources 1. Pamphlets regarding stress relieving

activities
2. Aerobics videos