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Abstract

Objective: To investigate undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of their transition from a 2-semester to a 3-semester academic calendar and examine its impact on academic stress and self-concept. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and December 2023 among 185 undergraduate nursing students in Saudi Arabia who had completed at least their foundational year. Participants completed an online questionnaire containing Likert-type scales measuring academic stress and academic self-concept. Data were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA to explore associations between perceptions and demographic variables. Results: Most students reported low levels of academic stress and maintained a positive academic self-concept. Perceived stress showed no significant associations with demographic characteristics. However, academic self-concept differed significantly according to academic year and parental status, with fourth-year students and those without children reporting higher academic confidence. Conclusion: The transition to a 3-semester academic calendar appeared manageable for undergraduate nursing students, with overall low stress levels and a positive self-concept. While demographics did not influence stress perception, academic year and parental status affected students' confidence. These findings underscore the need for targeted academic support for students in earlier years and those with parental responsibilities.

Article Type

Original Study

First Page

489

Last Page

496

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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