Scope of Anxiety in Nursing Education
Demands on a nursing student are constant and unrelenting. Continual study, test taking, labs and clinical rotations take a mental, emotional and physical toll. Stress increases and anxiety over competency and expectations take hold.
Books do not prepare a nursing student for the anxieties that arise when confronted with the act of caring for an actual patient. These anxieties must be addressed so the student is successful in finishing her education.
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Anxiety
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Anxiety is a dread or a tense anticipation of something that is not a real threat of harm. It is a psychological manifestation of what may happen, unlike fear, which is a reaction to a specific danger. Stress is a precursor to anxiety and often is accompanied by physiological symptoms, including accelerated breathing, quickening of pulse, increased blood pressure, tense muscles, dry mouth and diarrhea.
Tests
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Test anxiety is common in nursing students. After months of studying complex and demanding material, they are faced with demonstrating on paper what they have learned. Some people become so panicked that, no matter how well they know the material, they forget it when it's test time. These students would do well to practice mock tests beforehand to help lower their anxiety level.
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Clinical Experience
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Clinical experience is the highest anxiety producer for nursing students because they lack confidence in their competency to care for patients. The first initiation into a clinical rotation brings fears of making mistakes and being evaluated by faculty on their initial performance. Students also have anxiety about how to handle unfamiliar situations, such as handling a difficult patient. The most anxiety-producing experience for the student is the fear of harming a patient.
Theory/Practice
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Clinical-skills training in the classroom and the actual practice of those skills in the clinical setting bring confusion, conflict and increased anxiety to the nursing student. The theory-practice conundrum is experienced in many professions but is very pronounced in the field of nursing. In fact, the gap between theory and practice has been recognized by nursing programs for over 50 years.
Reducing Anxiety
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The scope of anxiety is far reaching for nursing students and threatens their ability to succeed at study, testing and clinical performance. Using techniques to reduce stress help relieve anxiety. Preparedness, mock tests, practice, exercise, relaxation techniques and outdoor activities will help in doing so. Getting adequate sleep and eating well-balanced meals are advised to help cope with the demands of being a nursing student.
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References
- Photo Credit angry nurse image by Andrey Kulygin from Fotolia.com
