KUMJ | VOL. 13 | NO. 4 | ISSUE 52 | OCT-DEC, 2015
Self-Esteem and Academic Stress among Nursing Students
Acharya Pandey R, Chalise HN
Abstract: Background
Stress and self-esteem are common issues that everyone has to cope with at some
time in their lives and they could also affect other things going on in a persons’ life.
Academic stress is psychological condition often experienced by college students as,
to some extent, being multidimensional variables. Among others are self-esteem and
psychological well-being which are considered to have influences in explaining why
college students experience stress.
Objective
The objective of this study was to assess the self-esteem level and academic stress
among the nursing students.
Method
This is a cross-sectional study carried out in 2012. Total respondents were 190
nursing students selected randomly from Kathmandu University. Academic stress
was assed using 30-item Scale for Assessing Academic Stress (SAAS) and Self esteem
was assessed using 10 item Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale. Information was collected
through the self-administered questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using
SPSS version 16 software. Simple statistics measurement, percentage, means,
correlation was used for the data analysis.
Result
This study shows mean age of the respondent’s was 20.44±2.67 years. Majority
(88%) of students getting financial support of less than NRs 6000 per month and
64% have low perceived family support. This study found mean score of self esteem
and academic stress was 11.9 and 18.4 respectively. Further nearly 78% students
have low self esteem and 74% have high academic stress. Significant variable for high
academic stress and low self esteem were lower the age, lower the education and
low perceived family support. Lower financial support has also high academic stress.
Conclusion
Nursing students have low self esteem and high academic stress. Intervention to
lower the academic stress and increase the self esteem should be carried out so that
the learning of students will be efficient.
Keyword : Academic stress, nursing students, self-esteem
