Self‐Regulated Learning and Perceived Clinical Stressors in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Yusuf Ölker, Aybike Olgun, Beyza Büşra Altunbaş, Esma ÖzşakerABSTRACT
Aim
To examine the relationship between self‐regulated learning and perceived clinical stressors among undergraduate nursing students engaged in clinical education.
Design
A descriptive and correlational cross‐sectional study.
Methods
The study was conducted with 223 undergraduate nursing students enrolled at a public university during the 2022–2023 academic year. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Self‐Regulated Learning Scale for Clinical Nursing Practices and the Nursing Students' Perceptions of Clinical Stressors Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non‐parametric tests, Spearman's correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results
Nursing students reported relatively high levels of both self‐regulated learning and perceived clinical stressors. Students who had voluntarily chosen the nursing profession demonstrated higher self‐regulated learning scores than those who had not. Perceived clinical stressor scores differed according to gender, academic year and perceived academic achievement. A weak positive association was identified between self‐regulated learning and perceived clinical stressors. However, after adjustment for gender, academic year and academic achievement in the multiple linear regression analysis, self‐regulated learning was not an independent predictor of perceived clinical stress. These findings suggest that self‐regulated learning and clinical stress represent interconnected aspects of nursing students' clinical learning experiences, although self‐regulated learning was not an independent predictor of perceived clinical stress after adjustment for potential confounding variables.
Impact
What problem did the study address?
Limited evidence exists regarding the relationship between self‐regulated learning and perceived clinical stressors among undergraduate nursing students in clinical education settings.
What were the main findings?
Nursing students reported high levels of both self‐regulated learning and perceived clinical stressors, and a weak positive association was observed between these constructs.