Investigation of Variables Affecting Nursing Students' Adaptation to University Life

Abstract

Students who starts university in a new and often different city suddenly find themselves in a different academic and social environment. This new life differs from their past experiences in terms of educational experiences, human relations and social life. This descriptive study investigates the adaptation levels of first year nursing students of two different public universities in Izmir, Turkey at the beginning of the academic year and aims to determine the factors affecting their adaptation. The research data were obtained from 125 students enrolled in the nursing department of these universities by using a questionnaire. The data collection tools consisted of socio-demographic form and the University Life Scale. Numbers and percentages, ANOVA, and independent sample t test were used in the analysis. 75.2% of the students included in the study were female, and their mean age was calculated as 9=18.9±1.10. 55.2% of the students voluntarily chose the nursing department. The rate of students who made a university selection for the first time was 97.6%. The students were found to have the highest mean score in the "adaptation to the university environment" subscale and the lowest score in the "academic adaptation" subscale. The mean scores of adaptation to the university environment, adaptation to relationships with the opposite sex, and total adaptation were found to be higher for the students who opted for the profession willingly than those who did not and this difference was found to be statistically significant (220.202±36.43, p<0.05). The findings indicate that willful selection of the profession, the level of education of the mother, profession of the father, parents' living together, economic status, and living with the family are the variables that affect the adaptation of the students to the university life. Preparing university adaptation programs by taking the individual, social and cultural characteristics affecting the adaptation into account and tailoring the guidance and consultancy services based on student needs may facilitate successful adaptation.