International Journal of Innovation Scientific Research and Review Vol. 05, Issue, 03, pp.4120-4124, March 2023 Available online at http://www.journalijisr.com SJIF Impact Factor 2023: 6.599 Research Article ISSN: 2582-6131 STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS IN TWO SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA 1, *Oluwaseun S. Bolarinwa and 2 Adeyinka G. Ishola 1 Department of Adult/Mental Health Nursing, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria. 2 Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Received 09 th January 2023; Accepted 10 th February 2023; Published online 20 th March 2023 ABSTRACT Stress is a public health concern and about one-third of individuals experience it worldwide. It has been established that stress is a major health concern among students.The study aimed to assess the level of stress,and identify the sources of stress and coping strategies utilized by thebaccalaureate nursing students in two selected universities in Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive design was utilized. The study settings were the Departmentsof Nursing Science University of Ibadan, Ibadan, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. A total of 219 baccalaureate nursing students in 300 – 500 levels were sampled using a multi-stage sampling method. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from UI/UCH Ethics Committee. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Findings showed that 11.4% of the respondents had a low-stress level, 68.5% had moderate stress, and 20.1% had a high-stress level. The students’ predominant stress sources were academic workload (73.1%) and financial difficulties (55.7%). The common coping strategies used among the students were self-distraction and instrumental support; means being 41.6 ± 8.37 SD and 33.3 ± 7.23 SD respectively. Respondents’ coping strategies were significantly related to their level of stress (X 2 = 6.091; p = 0.05). There was no significant difference between sources of stress among students of both universities (t (217) = 1.588; p = 0.114). It is imperative for students to be exposed to stress management techniques and effective coping strategies during stress. Keywords: Stress, coping, strategies, baccalaureate, nursing, students. INTRODUCTION Stress is a public health concern and about one-third of individuals experience it worldwide(Hafner, 2019). The American Institute of Stress statistics (2019) indicated that about 33% of individuals report feeling extreme stress, 77% experience stress that affects them physically, 73% have stress that negatively affects their mental health, and 48% have sleeping problems associated with stress. It has been established that stress is a major health concern among students and 75% of people experience moderate to severe stress in the United State of America (Stress Facts and Statistics, 2022). In Nigeria, Oku et al., (2015) opined that stress is highly prevalent among university students. Kio et al., (2015) established that common stressors among students are academically related. It was reported that over 16% of nursing students in Nigeria’s schools experience severe levels of stress due to assignments and academic workload. Other factors such as poor socioeconomic status, an unconducive learning environment, poor standard of clinical practices, etc. also contribute to stress among students (Ajibade et al., 2016). Oku et al., (2016) also reported that over 94% of medical students perceived their training as being stressful.The magnitude of stress among students, however, may vary according to age, sex, choice of course, academic year, family size and socio-economic status, cultural background, and available social support (Deng et al., 2022). Stress does not only negatively affect the students; it also has demerits on organizations or institutions. Stress results in a high rate of absenteeism, low quality of work, and low productivity in an institution (Samuel, 2018). *Corresponding Author: Oluwaseun S. Bolarinwa, 1Department of Adult/Mental Health Nursing, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria. Pascoe et al., (2019) opined that the common stressors among students include academic workload, time pressure, decision-making, continuous changes, and economic mistakes. These stressors tend to negatively impact them physically, psychologically, academically, and socially. Algorani& Gupta (2022) established that the coping strategies individuals employed during stress is very vital to the successful management of the situation and can assist them to adapt. This adaptation helps to promote health and improve psychological well-being and functioning. The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour (2023) stated that coping mechanisms can be either active or avoidant. While active coping mechanisms assist and equip an individual with psychological and behavioral mechanisms to alter the nature of the stressors, avoidant coping strategies tend to make individuals employ negative mechanisms (such as drinking, sleeping, withdrawal, etc.) when stressed. However, the negative effects of stress become more pronounced when the individuals concerned do not have adequate capacity to cope with the stressful environmental demands. Consequentially, the inability to adopt effective and efficient coping strategies when stressed can lead to increased physical and psychological health breakdowns among students, especially during the examination period. This formed the premise on which the researcher sought to assess the level of stress among baccalaureate nursing students and the coping strategies they employ when stressed. The findings of the study will add to the existing body of knowledge on the subject of stress and stress-related symptoms among nursing students in Nigeria and by so doing bridge the gaps in knowledge.