Stress levels, stressors, and coping strategies among nursing students during maternal and child health clinical rotations: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Background Nursing students often experience high levels of stress during clinical training, particularly in maternal and child health (MCH) rotations, which may affect learning and well-being. Understanding stress levels, stressors, and coping strategies can inform the development of supportive and culturally appropriate educational approaches. Objective To assess perceived stress levels, identify clinical stressors, and examine coping strategies among nursing students during MCH clinical rotations in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 among 187 female nursing students enrolled in MCH clinical rotations. Data were collected using validated Arabic versions of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Nursing Student Clinical Stressor Scale (NSCSS), and the Brief COPE Inventory. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho correlation analyses were performed using SPSS. Results Most students reported moderate perceived stress (75.4%), with a mean PSS-10 score of 20.5 ± 5.9. The highest stressor domains were MCH-specific challenges (9.13 ± 5.00), academic pressures (8.72 ± 3.95), and the clinical environment (7.65 ± 3.64). Religion (5.20 ± 2.06) and acceptance (4.79 ± 1.80) had the highest mean scores among coping strategies, while substance use was least reported (3.04 ± 1.40). Self-blame showed the strongest association with total clinical stressors (rho = 0.501, p <0.001). Conclusion Female nursing students experienced moderate stress during MCH clinical rotations, largely related to clinical and academic demands. Coping strategies were predominantly emotion-focused, with self-blame showing a strong association with higher stress levels. These findings highlight the importance of culturally sensitive support strategies in nursing education.