Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of stress of nursing students during their fi rst clinical experience.
Method: This descriptive study was performed in a nursing school which provides education to university degree level in Izmir, during the period March-June, 2011. Students accepted into the study were sophomore students studying in this nursing school, who were participating in clinical practice for the fi rst time and were willing to participate in the study. A clinical stress questionnaire was used in the study to determine the stress levels of the students. This is a questionnaire designed to measure the emotions students feel during their fi rst clinical experience. The data of the study was collected at the end of the fi rst week in which the students started their clinical practice. Numerical and percentage distributions, Student t-test and Pearson corelation analysis were used in the evaluation of the data.
Results: It was found that the students experienced a moderate level of stress during their fi rst clinical experience and courage was the subgroup from which students experienced the most stress. On the other hand, it was found that, from among the stress factors that students identifi ed, clinical nurses and lecturers took the fi rst two places.
Conclusion: As a result, it can be said that the level of stress of the nursing students was moderate during the fi rst clinical practice, and the most important factors causing the stress were the clinic nurses and lecturers.