Aim: Nursing education is a theoretical and clinical education program that aims to make individuals acquire nursing profession by using knowledge, attitude and skills. Students face many stress factors that affect academic performance and life quality in this process. For this reason, this study was conducted to determine the stress levels students face during undergraduate study in Nursing Department.

Method: This study was conducted in descriptive design in February 2016-March 2017 Academic Year with 319 Nursing Department students who volunteered to participate in the study and who had the inclusion criteria for the study. The data were collected with the Introductory Information Form and Nursing Education Stress Scale. The total point was 0 - 96. The increase in points shows that the stress level increases. In analyzing the data, Definitive Statistics, t-test and Variance Analysis were used.

Results: 75.5% of the students who participated in the study were female; 24.5% were male, and the mean age was 20.5±2.4. Fifty-four point two percent (54.2%) of the students stated that they felt they belonged to their profession, i.e. it was the right choice for them, and 66.5% of them stated that they did not want to change their department. It was determined that the average of the total points received by the students from the scale was 64.7±15.8; academic stress sub-dimension point was 32.1±7.9; and the application sub-dimension point was 32.6±9.1. It was observed that there were no statistically significant differences between the total scale point application sub-dimension and academic sub-dimension average points and grades, mother’s educational status, high school graduated, and belonging to profession status. When the gender variable and total sub-dimensions were compared, it was determined that the stress levels of female students were higher than those of the male students at a statistically significant level.

Conclusion and Recommendations: As a result of the study, it was determined that nursing students had high-level stress during their educations, and the academic and application levels of this stress was at the same level. For this reason, it might be recommended that the stress levels of the nursing students on nursing education are determined during their undergraduate years, and students are supported.

Key Words: Nursing education, nursing education stress, academic stress, nursing students.