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effective for addressing the key stressors experienced by BSN and BSMT students? With
Implications to BSN and BSMT (effects, directly or indirectly) and Additional RRLs and RRS (5
plus 1 RRL included in results and discussions......... The third research problem question aimed
to know if there is a significant impact of the barriers and challenges to patient care. By getting
the average value of all the answers of each respondent, the data was used for regression
analysis, and the results lead to accepting the alternative hypothesis which is that, “The barriers
and challenges have a significant impact on the effectiveness of patient care provided by the
nursing students.” There is an abundant amount of literature and studies which shows there is
indeed an impact of the barriers and challenges to patient care. Supported by the study of Kim,
S. and Kim, M. (2022), the nursing students identified that there are institutional issues and
inadequate working environments as significant barriers when it comes to implementing patient-
centered care, hindering the delivery of high quality care and affecting the overall experience of
nursing students in the clinical environment. Additionally, Jafarian-Amiri et al. (2020) explained
in their research that the challenges faced by nursing students in clinical settings negatively
impact their learning outcomes, disrupting their clinical education process, ultimately affecting
the quality of patient care provided by them. Further supporting this, the results of the study by
Mohammed et al. (2019) revealed that there are gaps shown between the theoretical knowledge
and practical application of nursing students in Egypt. With the lack of educational preparation,
the nursing students cannot keep up with the realities of patient care, negatively impacting the
care they give to the patients. Moreover, Abu Negm et al. (2024) emphasized the challenges
faced by nursing students during clinical duties such as educational, organizational, and cultural
barriers, which affected their confidence to render effective patient care. There is also the
apprehension felt by the nursing students to engage hands-on with patients because of self-
perceived deficiencies in applying theoretical knowledge into actual clinical skills.
At the present, there is a scarcity in the literature and studies that disagrees with the accepted
hypothesis of the study. Instead, reviews of works and publications consistently emphasized the
critical need to address these barriers and challenges to patient care, in order to improve
nursing curriculum and patient outcomes. Although the result of the study only revealed little to
no issues based on the situation of nursing students, there is still a need to give attention to
these problems in order to mitigate the potential complications that may arise later on. If these
barriers and challenges remain unaddressed: the quality of care of patients could decline; the
performance, competency, and confidence of nursing students could diminish; and the overall
healthcare outcome could be compromised. That is why in nursing practice, there is a need to
improve the system of clinical training, enhance the communication structure, address resource
shortages, and have a reformation of education and institutions. Nursing institutes must
collaborate in order to build strategies and create environments that are conducive to student
learning and patient safety. With the absence or minimal cases of barriers and challenges,
nursing students will be more prepared to enter the professional field with the adequate amount
of skills, confidence, and resilience to provide high quality care. Overall, addressing the barriers
and challenges will create better patient care outcomes, which is the primary goal of any nursing
education.
But using this informations
Coping Strategies
In the 1970s and 1980s, theorists such as Pearlin and Schooler (1978), Lazarus and
Folkman (1984), Billing and Moos (1984), and Kobasa (1979) contributed to the concept of
determine how coping may be related to various results. Kobasa in 1979 and Wheaton in 1983
studied how personality traits may be contributing to coping. However, others such as Billings
and Moos evaluated how people deal with stressful situations. Furthermore, Shanan, De‐Nour,
and Garty (1976 examined the features of stressful situations that people encounter.
The ideas and actions used to deal with stressful situations, both internal and external,
are referred to as coping (Algorani et al., 2023). Coping strategies are one of the tools that are
widely used by people to be able to handle their feelings in a stressful situation, these are the
knowledge, skills, and strategic behaviors (de la Fuente et al., 2020). One of the key factors that
modify the dynamic relationship between stressful circumstances and the individual's response
is coping. It includes all deliberate measures to control stress, regardless of how successful they
understand coping were developed from the broad body of research. The first is the
Transactional Theory of Richard Lazarus, while the second is Stevan Hobfoll’s Conservation of
The Lazarus & Folkman (1984) framework has important components, including the
concepts that appraisal is an element of the coping process and that coping is a transaction
between the individual and the environment. The idea of appraisal is its starting point. Whereas,
appraisal evaluates the coping technique after coping. The term "primary appraisal" describes
which are perceived to demand particular actions, benign events are judged to require no
decisive action on the part of the individual to help achieve a positive outcome (Putwain, et al.,
2021).
One motivating element of COR (Hobfoll, 1989, 2010), a similar and possibly significant
theory, is that people work to acquire, retain, and preserve what they value. According to the
COR theory, instead of waiting for an unforeseeable event to arise, individuals allocate
resources, or acquire insurance; they secure future security, for instance, by spending time and
effort building connections. Therefore, this framework element is proactive rather than reactive.
The focus of the COR theory, according to Hobfoll (1989), is on "common appraisals" made by
individuals who share biology and customs, as well as objective factors associated with risks
and loss. Instead of the evaluations, the primary focus is on the actual situation. Loss and
growth patterns are given significance. Considering the fact that COR theory originated in the
aftermath of trauma and tragedy, Hobfoll believes that current research is aligned with positive
psychology and concentrates on how it contributes to perseverance and the ability to thrive
Managing stressors is an important and ongoing process for health sciences students. It
is essential for their endurance during their academic experiences and could also be significant
for their improvement and to maintain their stability. Previous research suggests that managing
stress is more important than the type of stress and that the more effectively a stress-relieving
Studies show that students who have been exposed to the medical field are experiencing
fluctuations in their stress levels, depending on how they utilize coping strategies. Moreover,
stress levels may vary depending on their academic years or exposure to the field (Onieva-
Zafra et al., 2020). Students cope with their stress in various ways by using coping strategies.
Engaging techniques like resolving issues, positive reinterpretation, and venting help students
adjust, which lessens the consequences of anxiety and depression on both mental and physical
health.
undergraduate students utilized a range of coping strategies to manage their stress. It was
identified that one of the most popular coping strategies used is problem-focused coping (20%).
Avoidance was another often employed method, where students would wait for someone else to
address their problems or would avoid instructors (17%). However, this method caused issues
during clinical training. Additionally, 15% of them used a coping style that involved seeking
social support. Moreover, health sciences students also employed emotion-focused coping
(13%) and staying optimistic (13%) as coping strategies. They also mentioned substance abuse
(2%), transference (11%), and others (9%), in their list of coping mechanisms under stressful
situations.
Problem-Focused Coping
There are many reasons why people use coping strategies, mainly due to stressors. For
students, stressors derive from academic load, classroom environment, faculty interaction,
illness, and emotional concerns outside of the classroom (Graves et al., 2021). There are
numerous ways to cope with stress, each unique to the individual. People develop coping
strategies to gain control over a stressful situation, allowing them to move past it confidently. In
addition, stress levels and coping skills are also factors that determine how a person responds
to its proactive approach to effectively managing stressors. This coping strategy involves
actively addressing the underlying problems that cause stress, encompassing seeking
information, strategic planning, and problem-solving. Health sciences students, grappling with
the demanding academic and clinical requirements, frequently rely on problem-focused coping
with navigating their rigorous educational environments. For instance, nursing students are
known to employ problem-solving behaviors and maintain an optimistic outlook to confront the
countless stressors inherent in their education and clinical duties (Labrague, 2024). These
coping mechanisms are instrumental for achieving academic success and preserving mental
Research by Frontiers (2024) underscores both the positive and negative outcomes
associated with problem-focused coping in academic settings. On the positive side, it is strongly
correlated with enhanced academic performance, diminished stress levels, and heightened
personal satisfaction and resilience. Evidence suggests that resilience, bolstered by problem-
focused coping strategies, plays a pivotal role in promoting students' overall well-being and their
problem-focused coping may potentially lead to stress when challenges appear overwhelming
or when coping efforts fall short, ultimately resulting in feelings of frustration or inadequacy
(Frontiers, 2019).
Huang et al. (2020) found a relationship between emotion-focused coping and problem-
focused coping. Problem-focused coping significantly predicts anxiety and sadness, and it can
also predict emotional responses to some extent. This suggests that a phenomenon of 'the
more problem-focused coping, the more anxious, the angrier, the more sadness' may exist.
Additionally, individuals may not rely solely on one coping strategy; rather, these two strategies
imperative to supplement these strategies with other coping mechanisms, such as emotion-
focused approaches, to cultivate a comprehensive skill set for managing stress. Educators and
curriculum developers should prioritize integrating training programs that enrich students' coping
strategies. This approach not only serves to optimize academic outcomes but also fosters
resilience and well-being throughout their professional training and future careers (Frontiers,
Emotion-Focused Coping
(Hussong et al., 2021), where instead of managing the task that causes them loads of stress,
Studies have elucidated that coping with stress is more important than the nature of the
stress itself. The more efficient stress-relieving strategies are applied, the less damage it will
cause to individuals experiencing stress. One of these strategies involves finding ways to
control emotions and cultivating hopefulness when faced with stressful situations. People
employing this strategy, however, may express emotions such as anger or disappointment while
challenging or stressful events by altering one’s feelings and perceptions of those events
(Bamonti et al., 2017). Anxiety and stress are common among nursing students during their
initial clinical training and practice. The outcomes of stress during these times may have a
detrimental effect on their academic performance, burnout level, and overall well-being. Suffice
it to say, that when preparing competitive nurses, these negative effects narrow down to the
Javadi-Pashaki and Darvishpour (2018) discovered that nurses mainly rely on emotion-
focused coping as their primary approach to managing stress effectively. Furthermore, the
findings of a meta-analysis by Bamonti et al., (2017), exploring the correlation between coping
strategies and burnout across various professions revealed that, on the whole, emotion-focused
coping was linked to higher levels of burnout, while problem-focused coping was associated
with lower levels of burnout. However, this was not always the case. Sometimes, results
regarding emotion-focused coping are mixed. While some studies indicate that specific emotion-
focused coping strategies, such as positive reappraisal, are associated with lower burnout
levels, others suggest that higher levels of emotion-focused coping correlate with increased
burnout
Given that clinical training comprises a significant portion of the nursing curriculum,
stress is frequently reported among nursing students. However, the outcomes of stress can vary
depending on how students manage stressors. While some students may feel more motivated
when confronted with stressors, others may experience anxiety and depression (Ahmed and
mechanisms as a mediator for health outcomes and understanding the critical role of nurses'
well-being in patient care provision, it becomes essential to conduct further research on their
interconnected (Wu et al., 2020). The abovementioned studies and literature underscore the
equally important to understand a wide and diverse range of coping strategies. Through these,
emphasis on enhancing emotional control for effectively managing stressors and their impact on
performance could be exerted. Lastly, understanding the challenges and coping mechanisms of
nursing and medical technology students can better contribute to their academic success,
overall well-being, and, most importantly, their clinical readiness in the dynamic medical
profession environment.
Avoidance Coping
challenging thoughts, emotions, or tasks rather than confronting them directly, as highlighted by
Scott (2024). Similarly, Shafir (2022) characterizes avoidance coping as a set of strategies
Students frequently employ avoidance coping for various reasons. Shafir (2022)
suggests that a fear of failure might drive individuals to evade challenging tasks or situations
due to apprehension about performing poorly or failing outright. Similarly, Scott (2024) notes
postpone confronting challenges until the last minute. Furthermore, Shafir (2022) highlights that
social anxiety can lead students to avoid presentations, group work, or class attendance
Scott (2024) highlights both positive and negative outcomes of avoidance coping among
students. In the short term, it offers temporary relief from stress and anxiety, providing students
with a brief respite from overwhelming situations. Additionally, avoiding challenging tasks may
briefly instill a sense of control, allowing students to postpone or deflect stressful circumstances.
However, Shafir (2022) emphasizes the negative consequences of avoidance coping, noting
that it merely postpones problems, failing to address underlying issues that may worsen over
time. Moreover, avoidance hampers personal growth by limiting opportunities for skill
development and obstacle overcoming, thus impeding academic and personal progress.
procrastination, substance abuse, or social isolation, intensifying long-term stress and anxiety.
Scott (2024) emphasizes that avoidance coping offers short-term relief by distracting
individuals from immediate problems yet fails to address the underlying issues. Additionally,
according to Shafir (2022), avoidance coping can provide people with a false sense of control by
Physical Coping
Crosby (2022) explored the efficacy of physical coping skills in managing stress and
maintaining emotional stability. These skills help individuals redirect their focus away from
exercises, gentle stretching, and meditative walks were cited as effective techniques.
regular physical activity, and avoiding excessive substance use as beneficial practices for stress
management.
Students utilize physical coping strategies for several reasons. Holz (2020) reveals that
engaging in physical activity (PA) can effectively alleviate psychological strain, enhance mental
stability, and mitigate the adverse effects of inadequate PA, such as heightened stress, anxiety,
and depression. Moreover, Xianfeng et al. (2021) emphasize the well-established benefits of
exercise and physical activity in improving both physical and mental health, thereby enhancing
Xianfeng et al. (2021) outline three psychological pathways associated with positive
outcomes of physical coping strategies. Firstly, consistent physical activity diminishes anxiety
confidence, thus enabling individuals to better handle stressful situations. Lastly, participating in
physical activities acts as a diversion from stressors, enabling individuals to fully engage in the
Maugeri et al. (2020) underscore the effectiveness of regular exercise and alternative
forms of physical activity in promoting mental health and overall well-being. Moreover, Xu et al.
(2021) highlight the mediating roles of competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs between
physical activity and resilience, with competence emerging as the most influential mediator.
Thus, actively engaging in physical activities to fulfill these psychological needs, particularly
Table 8
This area of study presents the overall coping strategies most frequently utilized by
health sciences students to overcome the identified theoretical and clinical learning
stressors. The data presented statistically treated through the use of weighted mean and
standard deviation. The gathered data from the respondents are shown on the table 3.5
below.
Table 3.5 The Coping Strategies most frequently utilized by Health Sciences students to
Overcome the identified Theoretical and Clinical Learning Stressors
health sciences students to overcome the identified theoretical and clinical learning
stressors resulted to an overall mean of 2.96 from BSN responses greater than the
overall mean of 2.87 from BSMT responses, both interpreted as agree response.
as the most coping strategies that is frequently utilized by the health sciences students
to overcome the identified theoretical and clinical learning stressors based on the
highest positive agreement. However, the least total mean score of 2.59 suggesting a
agree response fell under the Avoidance Coping which shows as the least coping
strategies that is frequently utilized by the health sciences students to overcome the
The study's findings align with existing literature on coping strategies among
stress (Khan, 2023). In contrast, the lower mean score for avoidance coping suggests
that while it may offer temporary relief, it is generally discouraged as it doesn't address
underlying issues and can hinder personal growth (Shafir, 2022). Thus, the study
This result implies that the respondents have a partial concurrence with the statement,
suggesting that the individual acknowledges and accepts some of its implications, though not
necessarily all, in the coping strategies most frequently utilized by health sciences students to
overcome the identified theoretical and clinical learning stressors. Moreover, this result is
supported by the study of Khan (2023), where there are numerous ways to cope with stress,
each unique to the individual. People develop coping strategies to gain control over a stressful
situation, allowing them to move past it confidently.
NOW BY THIS INFORMATION PLEASE MAKE IT TO LOOK LIKE THIS FORMAT SAMPLE;
The third research problem question aimed to know if there is a significant impact of the barriers
and challenges to patient care. By getting the average value of all the answers of each
respondent, the data was used for regression analysis, and the results lead to accepting the
alternative hypothesis which is that, “The barriers and challenges have a significant impact on
the effectiveness of patient care provided by the nursing students.” There is an abundant
amount of literature and studies which shows there is indeed an impact of the barriers and
challenges to patient care. Supported by the study of Kim, S. and Kim, M. (2022), the nursing
students identified that there are institutional issues and inadequate working environments as
significant barriers when it comes to implementing patient-centered care, hindering the delivery
of high quality care and affecting the overall experience of nursing students in the clinical
environment. Additionally, Jafarian-Amiri et al. (2020) explained in their research that the
challenges faced by nursing students in clinical settings negatively impact their learning
outcomes, disrupting their clinical education process, ultimately affecting the quality of patient
care provided by them. Further supporting this, the results of the study by Mohammed et al.
(2019) revealed that there are gaps shown between the theoretical knowledge and practical
application of nursing students in Egypt. With the lack of educational preparation, the nursing
students cannot keep up with the realities of patient care, negatively impacting the care they
give to the patients. Moreover, Abu Negm et al. (2024) emphasized the challenges faced by
nursing students during clinical duties such as educational, organizational, and cultural barriers,
which affected their confidence to render effective patient care. There is also the apprehension
felt by the nursing students to engage hands-on with patients because of self-perceived
deficiencies in applying theoretical knowledge into actual clinical skills.
At the present, there is a scarcity in the literature and studies that disagrees with the accepted
hypothesis of the study. Instead, reviews of works and publications consistently emphasized the
critical need to address these barriers and challenges to patient care, in order to improve
nursing curriculum and patient outcomes. Although the result of the study only revealed little to
no issues based on the situation of nursing students, there is still a need to give attention to
these problems in order to mitigate the potential complications that may arise later on. If these
barriers and challenges remain unaddressed: the quality of care of patients could decline; the
performance, competency, and confidence of nursing students could diminish; and the overall
healthcare outcome could be compromised. That is why in nursing practice, there is a need to
improve the system of clinical training, enhance the communication structure, address resource
shortages, and have a reformation of education and institutions. Nursing institutes must
collaborate in order to build strategies and create environments that are conducive to student
learning and patient safety. With the absence or minimal cases of barriers and challenges,
nursing students will be more prepared to enter the professional field with the adequate amount
of skills, confidence, and resilience to provide high quality care. Overall, addressing the barriers
and challenges will create better patient care outcomes, which is the primary goal of any nursing
education.
From the gathered data, **problem-focused coping** emerges as the most effective strategy for
addressing the primary stressors experienced by BSN and BSMT students. This coping style
involves actively identifying and resolving the root causes of stress, such as academic workload,
clinical duties, and challenging classroom environments. By tackling the problem head-on
through time management, strategic planning, and seeking information, students are better
equipped to manage the demanding requirements of their respective programs.
The results of this study are in alignment with **Henderson, Chetty, and Gurayah (2020)**, who
found that problem-focused coping was the most commonly used coping method (20%) among
health sciences students, helping them adjust and reduce the mental strain associated with
academic stress. Similarly, **Labrague (2024)** emphasizes that nursing students rely heavily
on problem-focused coping to confront the stressors of clinical and academic environments,
allowing them to navigate these pressures effectively. The study further supports the work of
**Dove Press (2024)**, which highlights the positive correlation between problem-focused
coping, academic success, and enhanced resilience.
In contrast, **avoidance coping** was less effective and, in some cases, counterproductive.
Students who employed avoidance strategies—such as procrastinating or withdrawing from
difficult tasks—reported higher levels of anxiety and stress in the long run. This finding is
consistent with **Scott (2024)** and **Shafir (2022)**, who warn that avoidance coping offers
only temporary relief, potentially leading to negative consequences like missed deadlines and
increased academic pressure.
Lastly, **physical coping strategies**, such as engaging in regular physical activity, were
effective for reducing stress levels and promoting mental well-being. According to **Xianfeng et
al. (2021)**, physical activity enhances mental stability and improves overall quality of life,
making it a valuable strategy for students dealing with high stress levels.
The research aimed to explore the effectiveness of various coping strategies employed by BSN
and BSMT students in managing stress, with a focus on the four primary coping methods:
problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance, and physical coping strategies. The data
revealed that **problem-focused coping** emerged as the most effective approach for
addressing stressors such as academic workload, clinical duties, and challenging classroom
environments. Students who employed this strategy actively sought to resolve the root causes
of stress through effective time management, strategic planning, and seeking relevant
information. This finding aligns with the study by **Henderson, Chetty, and Gurayah (2020)**,
who identified problem-focused coping as the most commonly used strategy among health
science students, helping them manage academic stress more effectively. Similarly, **Labrague
(2024)** found that nursing students rely heavily on problem-focused coping to navigate the
pressures of clinical practice and academic demands. The positive correlation between
problem-focused coping and both academic success and resilience is further supported by
**Dove Press (2024)**. On the other hand, **emotion-focused coping**, while less frequently
employed, plays a complementary role in managing the emotional effects of stress, especially
when direct solutions are not immediately available. This strategy includes seeking social
support and managing emotional responses, which can mitigate burnout. **Bamonti et al.
(2017)** emphasize that emotion-focused coping can reduce burnout when combined with
problem-focused coping, though over-reliance on this strategy may result in less effective long-
term outcomes. In contrast, **avoidance coping** was found to be the least effective and, in
some cases, counterproductive. Students who relied on avoidance strategies, such as
procrastination or withdrawal, reported heightened anxiety and stress. This observation is
consistent with findings from **Scott (2024)** and **Shafir (2022)**, who warned that avoidance
coping offers only temporary relief and may exacerbate problems like missed deadlines and
increased academic pressure. Lastly, **physical coping strategies**, such as engaging in
physical exercise, were effective in reducing stress levels and enhancing mental well-being.
According to **Xianfeng et al. (2021)**, physical activity promotes mental stability and improves
overall quality of life, making it a valuable strategy for students facing high levels of stress.
The implications of these findings suggest that promoting **problem-focused coping** as the
primary approach to stress management can help BSN and BSMT students improve academic
performance, enhance clinical readiness, and build resilience. Additionally, it is important for
students to develop a well-rounded set of coping skills, including emotion-focused and physical
strategies, to ensure holistic stress management. Incorporating stress management training into
nursing and medical technology curricula would be highly beneficial, as it could teach students
to employ problem-solving techniques while fostering emotional regulation and encouraging
healthy physical habits. Such interventions are likely to result in better academic outcomes,
reduced burnout, and improved well-being, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of healthcare
provided by future professionals.