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

Abstract

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.].