Nursing Students' Perceived Faculty Support, Stress, and Substance Misuse

Boulton, Martha DNP, EdD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, LADC, CARN-AP
O'Connell, Kathleen A. PhD, RN, FAAN

Dr. Boulton is Nurse Psychotherapist and Owner, Changing Perspectives, LLP, Westport, Connecticut; and Dr. O'Connell is Isabel Maitland Stewart Professor of Nursing Education, Teacher's College, Columbia University, New York, New York.

The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Address correspondence to Martha Boulton, DNP, EdD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, LADC, CARN-AP, Nurse Psychotherapist and Owner, Changing Perspectives, LLP, 195 Diane Terrace, Stratford, CT 06614; e-mail: [email protected].

Received November 28, 2016

Accepted February 15, 2017

Journal of Nursing Education 56(7):p 404-411, July 01, 2017. | DOI: 10.3928/01484834-20170619-04

Background:

Nursing school can be an extremely stressful experience. Many nurses with substance misuse issues developed the problem when they were students. The authors, guided by Peplau's interpersonal theory in nursing, examined whether stress and perceived faculty support were related to substance misuse.

Method:

A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Data were collected from members of the National Student Nurses Association using an Internet questionnaire.

Results:

Students with higher stress scores had a higher incidence of substance use. Most students who had higher perceptions of faculty support tended to use fewer nonprescribed stimulants for academic enhancement.

Conclusion:

Nursing students reported a moderate level of stress and used non-prescribed prescription drugs more frequently as the stress scores increased. Perceived faculty support was inversely related to the use of nonprescribed stimulants and does not appear to moderate the effects of stress on substance misuse. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(7):404–411.]