Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine learning behavior and the practical stress experienced by student nurses during medical internships. Types of learning behaviors, such as motivation and attitude toward learning, were identified. In addition, the types of stress reported by student nurses during their medical internships are discussed. Nursing students participated in a one-year internship program during their fourth and fifth years of study. Participants completed a set of surveys on learning attitudes and practical stress in the middle and at the end of the internship year. The results indicate that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and strategy use are the top three motivating strategies for students. Regarding the types of stress in clinical practice, students suffer the most stress from assignments and work, followed by stress from taking care of patients, stress related to professional knowledge and skills, stress from teachers and nurses, stress from peers and life, and stress from the internship environment.