Clinical Stress and Clinical Performance in Prelicensure Nursing Students: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Stress within clinical learning environments often has been associated with nursing education. However, in the past decade, the perceived stress levels of prelicensure nursing students have not only been sustained, they have actually increased. Increased and sustained stress levels negatively affect nursing students' perceptions of their competence, confidence, and ultimately, their clinical performance. Method: A systematic review of the relationship between nursing students' perceived clinical stress and perceived clinical performance was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Results: The review highlighted what is currently known about the relationship between perceived clinical stress in prelicensure nursing students and perceived clinical performance, providing implications for future research in clinical education. Three main themes were identified: nursing student gender, academic year, and clinical skill preparation. Conclusion: Future research with rigorous methodological designs is necessary to examine the relationship between perceived clinical stress in prelicensure nursing students and perceived clinical performance. [ J Nurs Educ . 2023;62(1):36–41.]