Percepción de los estudiantes de enfermería en relación al cansancio emocional académico, un estudio cualitativo: trabajo de investigación finalizado

Abstract

Theoretical framework: Students consider that their university studies, besides being relevant in their life, are also a source of stress and emotional distress. The research has focused on identifying the academic stressors that cause emotional exhaustion. This is characterized by a feeling of wear and exhaustion of one's emotional resources, a feeling that the person can no longer do it. There is a lack of energy, a lot of frustration and tension that triggers a negative impact on activities. Objective: First of all, to know the perception of the nursing students regarding the emotional fatigue derived from the academic activity. On the other hand, analyze the factors that affect emotional fatigue, explore the consequences, reveal the coping strategies used and finally, compare it between the two universities studied. Methodology: A phenomenological qualitative study focused on nursing students at the University of La Frontera and the University of Girona, between September 2017 and April 2018. As an information gathering technique, the in-depth interview is used individually with each participant, respecting the script of the interview based on the objectives of the study. The sample was 18 students, 10 from the University of La Frontera and 8 from the University of Girona. Based on the results, the information obtained is organized into categories and it is compared in an exhaustive analysis with the bibliography found. Results: 3 in-depth interviews were conducted. They have been grouped in the categories: feelings and sensations, importance of emotional fatigue, consequences, factors or causes that influence emotional fatigue, coping strategies and proposals to reduce it. The category of consequences of emotional fatigue is broken down into the following subcategories: physical, psychological, behavioral and habits and academics. The category factors or causes that include emotional exhaustion are divided into: self-esteem, academic factors, economic and social factors. Conclusions: The perception and opinion of students about emotional fatigue is diverse, although it affects all areas of life. There are various academic activities that students consider stressful and that it would be necessary to intervene to reduce stress. However, there are other factors that influence the emotional health, such as family environment, economic factors, and personal issues that can directly influence academic performance