Factors Related to Academic Stress During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Nursing Students of UPN Veteran Jakarta

Full text

Factors Related to Academic Stress During the
Covid-19 Pandemic in Nursing Students of
UPN Veteran Jakarta
Mareta Dea Rosaline1*, Diah Tika Anggraeni2
1Nursing Study Program, Faculy of Health Science, UPN Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia
2Nursing Study Program, Faculy of Health Science, UPN Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: maretarosaline@upnvj.ac.id
ABSTRACT
Background: Academic stress is one of the biggest health problems that have an impact on academic
performance. Students become a group that is vulnerable to the stress that comes from academic life.
Academic stress that is usually experienced by students is due to academic responsibility. The online
learning system that has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic requires students to get more assignments
and a busy lecture schedule. Method: This study used a cross-sectional study design. The respondents
were 175 students using the accidental sampling technique. The instrument used was a questionnaire
consisting of demographic data and a statement regarding the level of academic stress with the modified
Depression Anxiey and Stress Scale 42. Result: From the results of statistical tests, it was found that most
of the respondents had a moderate stress level (34.3%), the variable age value p-value = 0.001, college
load p-value = 0.045, achievement index p-value = 0.302, and residence status p-value =
0.166. Conclusion: So that there is a relationship between age and study load with academic stress on
students. Students who cannot adapt to environmental changes will result in impaired ability to adapt to
stressors received from the academic process.
Keywords: academic stress, age, college load, nursing students
1. INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic has made many parties
try to overcome the spread of both the government and all
society (Setiawan, 2020). One of the efforts made by
issuing an online learning policy to prevent the spread of
COVID-19 through the Minister of Education and Culture
Circular No 36962 / MPK.A / HK / 2020 [1].This condition
requires lecturers to do the process online or online.
Online learning is a technology-based learning model
through distance learning by using internet network
facilities to interact online. Some of the advantages of the
decision of the Minister of Education of the Republic
online learning media are that they can increase learning
interactions, facilitate learning interactions anywhere and
anytime, have a wider reach, and facilitate the
improvement and storage of learning materials [3].
Currently, universities in Indonesia apply strict
rules to maintain the quality of graduates related to student
study time limits; these rules are used based on of
Indonesia Number 44 of 2015 part 4 of article 16,
paragraph 1 letter , regarding the period and college load
educational program for a maximum of seven academic
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
International Conference of Health Development. Covid-19 and the Role of
Healthcare Workers in the Industrial Era (ICHD 2020)
Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press B.V.
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 374

years for undergraduate programs with a student study
load of at least 144 Semester Credit Units (SKS).
Students who cannot complete their studies within the
stipulated time will receive a sanction, namely dropping
out [2]. Students must complete lecture assignments from
lecturers, field assignments/field practice, midterm, and
final semester exams and write final projects to achieve
this. Apart from academic problems, students also have
issues studying, time management, and even lack of
family support or being away from family. Family
support is when experiencing pain, someone will seek
permission from people around them to help and revive
enthusiasm and self-confidence in the face of difficulties
that are being experienced [3].
The responsibilities and demands of academic
life and the many problems faced by students can be part
of the stress commonly experienced by students. The
number of students experiencing academic stress
increases each semester. The stress most commonly
experienced by students is academic stress. Academic
stress is mental stress related to frustration with academic
failure, fear of failure, and even awareness of loss [4].
Students experiencing academic stress can have a positive
or negative impact. Stress loads that are considered too
heavy can lead to memory problems, concentration,
decreased problem-solving abilities, and academic
abilities [3]. Stress that is deemed heavy can also trigger
health problems such as depression and excessive anxiety
[5].
Stress has become a part of student academic life
due to various internal and external factors that burden
students. Students are particularly prone to academic
stress problems when transitions occur on an individual
and social level. Therefore, it becomes essential to
understand the sources and impacts of academic stress to
develop an adequate and efficient intervention strategy
[6]. Previous research conducted by Karaman et al. [7]
found that motivation support, life satisfaction, and place
to live were significant predictors of academic stress in
college students. Another study conducted on regular
students of the DIII Nursing Cirebon study program, the
Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health,
Tasikmalaya with a sample size of 74 respondents,
showed a significant relationship between age and the
level of academic stress in students [8].Based on a
preliminary study conducted on 15 nursing students, it
was found that students complained of stress due to 30%
piling up on college assignments so that students did not
have enough time to rest, often experienced headaches,
and decreased appetite, besides that some were afraid of
the achievement index fell. 25%, 15% less cohesive group
friends, 10% experiencing personal problems, and 20%
being far from family. This study aimed to determine the
factors related to the level of academic stress in nursing
students of UPN Veteran Jakarta.
2.
METHODS
The type of research used is an analytic observational
with a cross-sectional study design, an epidemiological study
that studies the relationship of the independent variables,
namely age, course load, and residence status, with the
dependent variable, namely the level of academic stress
students during the same period [12]. This research was
conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences at UPN Veteran
Jakarta in July 2020. The population in this study were all
students of the Undergraduate Nursing Study Program in
2019 and 2018, with a total sample of 175 students. The
sampling method uses the accidental sampling technique.
Data collection was carried out for 3 weeks using an online
questionnaire via a
google form. Collecting data on the sample in the form of
age, study load, and residence status used demographic data
while on the level of academic stress, students used a
modified DASS 42 instrument. Further data were analyzed
by univariate and bivariate using the chi-square test α = 0.05.
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Table. 1
Respondent Characteristics
Characteristics
Frequency
%
Gender
Male
20
11.4
Female
155
88.6
Age (years)
15-20
79
45.1
21-25
96
54.9
>25
-
College Load
Severe
100
57.1
Moderate
60
34.3
Mild
15
8.6
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
375

Residence Status
Boarding House
25
14.3
Live with Parents
150
85.7
Live with family
(husband/wife)
-
-
Academic Stress Levels
Normal
15
8.6
Mild
25
14.3
Moderate
60
34.3
Severe
45
25.7
Very Severe
30
17.1
Based on table 1 above, it is found that the
majority of respondents are female as many as 155 people
(88.6%), Respondents who have severe college load are
100 people (57.1%), the distribution of residence status
of the majority of respondents with parents is 150 people
(85.7%), and the majority of respondents experience
moderate stress, namely 60 people (14.3%). Most
respondents were aged 15-20 years (54.9%). The age
group of respondents in this study entered the late
adolescence, namely 15-20 years. According to Jain &
Singhai [4] explains that in late adolescence, there is
rapid mental development. Mental development in late
adolescence also increases adolescents' ability to
hypothesize anything related to their life and
environment.
As students who have demands and obligations in
the educational process, students must make adjustments
or make adaptations used to cope with the changes that
have occurred and are accepted during normal lectures in
class or online system lectures during the COVID-
pandemic. 19. The gender characteristics of the
respondents indicated that the majority of respondents
were female (88.6%). The female respondents' dominant
number is because the ratio between male and female
students is more than a female. Female students also have
to participate in various organizational activities or
student activity units due to the limited number of male
students. According to Karaman [7], explaining that if
there is a dual role conflict between students that cannot
be resolved with adaptive coping, then this can cause
stress to students. The characteristics of the course load
indicate that the highest percentage of respondents who
experience stress due to massive academic factors
(57.1%). Students are required to have the ability to adapt
the usual academic process in class to the online learning
process, requiring students to get a lot of coursework from
each lecturer per course, such as weekly quizzes,
independent assignments, and group assignments.
Completing assignments that require a short time so that
students lack rest and harmony among members for group
assignments can trigger stress in students.
The characteristics of student residence status
indicate that most respondents live with their parents
(85.7%). Based on the regulations issued regarding the
prevention of the spread of Covid-19, the entire academic
process is carried out online. So that many students return
to their hometowns, even though the majority live with
parents of students, they are still required to adapt to the
online learning process with the assigned workload. They
must share roles in the family environment. The
characteristics showed that the academic stress level of
nursing students UPN Veteran Jakarta mostly
experienced moderate stress levels (34.3%). The level of
student academic stress needs attention because students
as of late teens have a high level of stress. High-stress
conditions will result in students tend to get angry quickly
and not focus on the learning process, and can trigger a
person to behave negatively, such as smoking, consuming
alcohol, fighting, free sex, and even drug use [6].
Table 2.
Analysis of the Relationship between Age and Student Academic Stress Levels during the COVID-19
Pandemic
Students Academic Stress Levels
Age
(Tahun)
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Very Severe
Total
P value
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
N
15-20
9(9.3)
14(14.5)
33(50)
24(31.7)
16(25.3)
96
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
376

21-25
6(7.29)
11(10.4)
27(21)
21(21)
14(10.41)
79
>25
0,001
Table 2 shows the results of the analysis of the relationship
between age and the level of academic stress in students. The
results showed that most respondents experienced moderate
academic stress as many as 33 people (50%) at 15-20 years.
The level of stress decreases as age increases. The results of
statistical tests using the chi-square test obtained p-value =
0.001 <0.05. This shows a relationship between age and the
level of academic stress in students during the COVID-19
pandemic. Nursing Science, the University of Indonesia,
with a sample size of 93 students, found a difference in
the proportion of the incidence of academic stress levels
against age (p = 0.030) [9].the age level of students, the
lower the academic stress level tends to be. This happens
when someone is often exposed to the same stressor with
the same pattern, so someone will get used to it and
perceive the stressor as usual. With the same stressor,
students can make acceptable adaptations so that as they
age, they can control the level of academic stress.
Table 3.
Analysis of the Relationship between College Load and Student Academic Stress Levels during the
COVID-19 Pandemic
Students Academic Stress Levels
College
Load
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Very Severe
Total
P value
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
N
Severe
6(6)
12(12)
37(37)
25(25)
20(20)
100
Moderate
9(15)
11(18.3)
16(27)
15(25)
8(15)
60
Mild
0
2(13.3)
9(53.3)
4(26.7)
2(6.7)
15
0,045
Table 3 shows the results of the analysis of the relationship
between the course load and the level of student academic
stress. The results of the study show that the highest
percentage of respondents who experience stress due to
severe academic factors with severe stress levels are 37
people (37 %%) and respondents who experience stress
due to moderate academic factors with moderate stress
levels are 16 people (27%). The results of statistical tests
using the chi- square test obtained p-value = 0.045 <0.05
indicates a relationship between college load and the level
of academic stress in nursing students at UPN Veteran
Jakarta.Another study conducted on nursing students of
STIKes Muhammadiyah Surakarta with a sample size of
63 students, found that the lecture schedule related to the
lecture load affects the stress level of students (p = 0.041)
[10].
Students with a severe college load can affect the level
of student academic stress. This is because when data
collection took place, learning was carried out online as
an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 so that more
student assignments for each lecturer per subject such as
quizzes, independent assignments, and group
assignments.
Piling up college assignments and a busy class
schedule resulted in students having less time to rest so
that it was easier to feel dizzy and often angry. In line with
Smeltzer and Bare's theory in Karaman [7], if the body
cannot adapt to changes in the environment, it can cause
a disturbance in the body's balance so that it is easier to
experience stress.
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
377

Table 4.
Analysis of the Relationship Between Residence Status and Student Academic Stress Levels
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Students Academic Stress Levels
Residenec Status
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Very Severe
Total
P value
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
N
Boarding house
5(20)
1(4)
10(40)
5(20)
4(16)
25
Live with Parents
10(6.7)
24(16)
50(33.3)
40(26.7)
26(17.3)
150
Live with
family(husband/wife)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0,166
Table 4 shows the results of the analysis of the
relationship between residence status and student
academic stress levels. The results showed that most
respondents lived with parents, namely 150 people
(85.7%), and among these respondents, most of them
experienced moderate academic stress levels as many as
50 people (33.3%). Of the 25 respondents who live in a
boarding house or contract, ten people (40%) experience
moderate stress. It can be seen in the table that although
most students live with their parents, there are still many
students who experience moderate academic stress. The
results of statistical tests using the chi-square test
obtained p-value = 0.166> 0.05 indicate no relationship
between residence status and academic stress levels in
nursing students of UPN Veteran Jakarta. The results
differed from the research conducted on the final year
students of S1 Nursing at STIKES Widya Husada
Semarang with a sample size of 76 students, found that
there was a relationship between family factors and stress
in final year students (p = 0.000) [11]. The study found
that students' level of academic stress was influenced by
the relationship between parents and children, parental
support, and good communication with children. The
results showed that although most students live with their
parents, many students experience moderate to severe
academic stress. This is because, during the online
lectures implemented by UPN Veteran Jakarta, most
students return to their hometowns, so,students are
required to be adaptive to the online learning process
with the assigned workload and have to share roles in the
family environment. A person must control conflicts
between academic assignments and family duties,if this
conflict cannot be adequately resolved, then the conflict
can cause stress to students.
4. CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the study regarding the factors
related to the level of academic stress in nursing students
of UPN Veteran Jakarta, it can be concluded that there
is a relationship between age (p = 0.001) and study load
(p = 0.045) with the level of academic stress in nursing
students of UPN Veteran Jakarta. There is no relationship
between residence status (p = 0.166) with academic stress
in nursing students of UPN Veteran Jakarta. It is hoped
that further researchers will develop research related to
visits to health services and financial conditions with
student stress levels.
REFERENCES
[1]
Kemendikbud, Surat Edaran
Mendikbud No 36962/MPK.A/HK/2020
Kemenristekdikti, “Permenristek- dikti Nomor
44 Tahun 2015 tentang Standar Nasional
Pendidikan Tinggi,” Jakarta, 2015.
[2]
M. G. Kadapatti and A. H. M. Vijayalaxmi,
“Stressor of Academic Stress- A Study on Pre-
University Students,” Indian J. . Sci. Res, vol.
3, no. 1, pp. 171–175, 2012.
[3]
A.-M. Goff, “Stressors, Academic
Performance, and Learned
Resourcefulness in Baccalaureate Nursing
Students,” Int. J. Nurs. Educ.Scholarsh., vol. 8,
no. 1, 2011.
[4]
G. Jain and M. Singhai, “Academic stress
amongst students: A review of literature,”
Prestig. e-Journal Manag. Res., vol. 4, no. 2,
pp. 58– 67, 2017.
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
378

[5]
K. J. Reddy, K. R. Menon, and A. Thattil,
“Academic stress and its sources among
university students,” Biomed. Pharmacol. J.,
vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 531–537, 2018, doi:
10.13005/bpj/1404.
[6]
M. A. Karaman, E. Lerma, J. C. Vela, and J. C.
Watson, “Predictors of Academic Stress Among
College Students,” J. Coll. Couns., vol. 22, no. 1,
pp. 41–55, 2019, doi: 10.1002/jocc.1211
[7]
E. R. Ira Suwartika, Agus Nurdin, “Analisis
Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Tingkat Stress
Akademik Mahasiswa Reguler Program Studi
DIII Keperawatan Cirebon Poltekkes Kemenkes
Tasikmalaya,” J. Keperawatan Soedirman, vol. 9,
no. 3, pp. 173–189, 2014.
[8]
S. Purwati, “Tingkat Stres Akademik pada
Mahasiswa Reguler Angkatan 2010 Fakultas Ilmu
Keperawatan Universitas Indonesia,” Universitas
Indonesia, 2012.
[9]
I. Mardiati, F. Hidayatullah, and C. Aminoto,
“Faktor eksternal tingkat stres mahasiswa
keperawatan dalam adaptasi proses
pembelajaran,” 7th Univ. Res. Colloqium 2018
STIKES PKU Muhammadiyah Surakarta, pp.
172–181, 2018.
[10] O. T. Dwi Retnaningsih, Khusnul Aini,
“Faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan stres pada
mahasiswa tingkat akhir S1 Ilmu Keperawatan di
STIKES Widya Husada Semarang,” J. Ners Widya
Husada Semarang, vol. 2, no. 1, 2018.
[11] S. Notoatmodjo, Metode Penelitian Kesehatan.
Yogyakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 30
379