Preliminary investigation of cognitive appraisal and perceived stress students

24^th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

September 13-15, 2018 | Copenhagen, Denmark

Dale Hilty

Mount Carmel College of Nursing, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Adv Practice Nurs

Abstract :

Statement of the Problem: Cognitive appraisal and stress research has been applied to training stressors, creative arts, pregnancy, psychotherapy, academic, and sleep quality. The purpose of this investigation is to study the effects of stress and stressors experienced by first semester BSN undergraduate students. The Brief College Student Hassle Scale (BCSHC) measured stressors (Ward & Hay, 2015). Participants rated their school and personal stress levels, and the area most stressful. Methodology: Researchers received 184 completed questionnaires. Since the 20 BCSHC items may not apply to first semester BSN students, exploratory factor analysis principle axis (EFAPE) was used to select underlying factors and items (loadings >.50). The school and personal "most stressful" ratings provided two groups for the independent t-test analysis. Results: EFAPE analysis found two factors (eigenvalues: 2.25, 1.71) based on the screen test accounting for 65.9% of the variance. Six of the BCSHC hassles/frustrations loaded on the two factors (i.e., School, N=3; Personal, N=3). Coefficient alpha estimates: School, .748 and Personal, .721. Independent t-test found significant differences for the two groups (School, p=.004; Personal, p=.000). Conclusions: Explore differential stress effects and alternatives for relieving stress for BSN students scoring high on the two factors. The next research investigation will incorporate the following alternatives for relieving stress and the effects of stress.

Biography :

Dale M. Hilty, Associate Professor at the Mt. Carmel College of Nursing. He received his PhD in counseling psychology from the Department of Psychology at The Ohio State University. He has published studies in the areas of psychology, sociology, and religion. Between April 2017 and June 2018, his ten research teams published approximately100 posters at local, state, regional, national, and international nursing conferences.