Factors Affecting the Adjustment of First-Year Nursing Students Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Surin

Abstract

The cross-sectional descriptive research aimed to examine the level of adaptation and its associated factors among the first-year nursing students at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Surin. The sample consisted of 136 first-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing Science program.  The sample were purposive sampling. Data were collected from August to December 2024. The research instruments were: 1) The Emotional Intelligence Assessment, 2) The Social Support Questionnaire, 3) The Problem Coping Questionnaire, 4) The Self-Esteem Questionnaire, and 5) The Adaptation Questionnaire. The reliabilities were tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, the following values were obtained 0.88, 0.67, 0.93, 0.79 and 0.98, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and Pearson's correlation coefficient at a significance level of .05.   

The research found that most participants were female and domiciled in Surin Province. The overall adaptation among first-year nursing students was high level (X=112.92, S.D.=15.72), particularly in the areas of social, participation in college activities, instructors, environment, and peer groups. These findings indicated the presence of strong social support systems and effective student care. Meanwhile, academic adaptation was moderate level, which reflects the challenges of the transition to higher education. The relationships between variables found that problem-solving ability was the highest correlation with adaptation (r=.812, p-value<.01), followed by self-esteem (r=.547, p-value<.01), emotional intelligence (r=.456, p-value<.01), and social support (r=.433, p-value<.01).