INVESTIGATING THE COPING STRATEGIES OF NURSING STUDENTS AS AN EFFECT ON THEIR TEST ANXIETY

Back to Page Authors: Gülşah Korpe, Pinar Irmak Vural

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Keywords: coping, nursing, student, test anxiety

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Abstract: Test anxiety has negative effects on students' academic success. Especially in university education, the level of anxiety can increase with the increase of social and individual expectations. The students find a way to cope with anxiety and apply this method to deal with many other worrying issues throughout their life. The aim of this study is; determining the anxiety levels of nursing students before the practice of Women Health and Diseases Nursing Practice course and how they cope with the test anxiety. This descriptive study was carried out with 139 students in the 2017-2018 academic year in nursing students who took Women’s Health and Diseases Nursing Practice course. Student information form, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form TX I-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) measurement tools were used.There was no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of STAI Form TX I-II, BAI and SUDS scales and gender, age, family place and parental association. 44.6% of students use a method to cope with test anxiety. The mean STAI Form TX I-II and SUDS scores of the students who used any coping method were lower than those who did not. The most common method was breathing exercise (14.4%). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between STAI Form TX I and II and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between STAI Form TX I and SUDS. As a result, it was determined that the anxiety levels of the students without any coping methods were higher than the others.

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