Assessing the Factors contributing to Academic Stress among Nursing Students in Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti

Nursing students in Nigeria face significant academic stress, largely driven by the challenging demands of both academic coursework and clinical practice. This study assessed the factors contributing to academic stress, its impacts, and coping mechanisms among nursing students at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, with 230 nursing students from 300 to 500 levels selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation at a significance level of p < 0.05. The results revealed that early morning classes (46.5%), lecturer-related issues (39.1%), examinations (36.5%), interpersonal difficulties with lecturers (35.2%), and inadequate study facilities (32.2%) were the most frequently reported contributors to academic stress. The impacts of academic stress were predominantly psychological and physiological, with anxiety (64.8%), increased perspiration (39.6%), irritability (36.5%), and depression (31.3%) being the most cited outcomes. Chi-square analysis demonstrated significant associations between high academic stress and sociodemographic variables, including gender (p = 0.001), age (p = 0.001), academic level (p = 0.001), and ethnicity (p = 0.001). In terms of coping, nursing students predominantly utilized physical exercise (51.3%) and good planning of academic work schedules (66.5%), with statistically significant correlations observed for surfing the internet (p = 0.001), sharing problems with friends (p = 0.005), seeking advice (p = 0.039), handling tasks independently (p = 0.042), stopping concern about school work (p = 0.001), and good planning (p = 0.007). The study concludes that academic stress is prevalent among nursing students, with both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies employed. Targeted interventions are recommended to enhance coping skills, improve the learning environment, and promote students’ psychological and academic well-being. Keywords: Academic stress, Nursing students, Coping strategies, Psychological well-being, Academic performance,