Experience of stress among Thai nursing students: report of a qualitative descriptive study

Aim: Stress is a widely recognized feature of student nurses' lives. A qualitative descriptive study of the experience of stress among Thai nursing students was, therefore, conducted.; Methods: Two samples of 7 nursing students each took part in the study -- 7 were from a city in Central Thailand while the other 7 were from a city in Northern Thailand. The students were interviewed in a mixture of English and Thai, and transcriptions in English were analysed using an adapted version of Burnard's thematic content analysis. The theoretical model used to underpin the study was the Carson and Kuipers model of stressors, moderators, and outcomes of stress. Study findings were organised within the support of the framework.; Results: Nursing students were most likely to experience stress in their first year of study, and this was often a result of having to pay respect to more senior students. The hierarchical nature of nurse education, and dealing with academic work and clinical placements were stressors for nursing students. The most frequently cited stress relievers were talking with friends (and sometimes family), and engaging in sports or other diversionary activities.; Conclusion: Thai nursing students demonstrated a reluctance to talk about stress experienced in their lives, which may be a reflection of the influence of Thai culture on nursing in Thailand