Academic Burnout and Stress in Prelicensure Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: This study investigated student characteristics that contribute to nursing students' academic burnout and perceived stress.

Method: A nonexperimental cross-sectional design was used to assess prenursing and nursing student characteristics, academic burnout, and perceived stress. Differences in academic burnout and stress based on student characteristics were evaluated using t tests or analysis of variance.

Results: Significant correlations were found between academic burnout and perceived stress. Social support, on-campus versus off-campus housing, certainty about nursing as a major, grade point average, and hours worked were significantly associated with academic burnout and stress levels. Female students reported higher perceived stress than male students, and students motivated by personal experiences also showed higher stress. Caregivers, students working in health care, and those working longer hours experienced greater exhaustion and academic burnout.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the prevalence of academic burnout and stress among nursing students, with various demographic, social, and academic characteristics contributing to these outcomes.