Abstract
This study seeks to clarify the actual state of "self-esteem" among nursing students in tertiary education prior to the beginning of long-term clinical training placements. A questionnaire survey was administered to 69 first-year and 65 second-year students enrolled in the nursing faculty of a Japanese women's university. Responses were collected from 48 first-year and 18 second-year students, for a total of 66 respondents (a recovery rate 49.2 %). As the result of the study it was found that self-esteem was high among individuals who felt satisfied with their experiences of high-school life and university enrollment. In addition, those who found their current course of study enjoyable and were able to get enough sleep (or else who felt they were able to get enough sleep) had higher self-esteem, suggesting that the quality of university life was important. Those who had many friends on campus also tended to have higher self-esteem. These results suggested the importance of supporting the formation of interpersonal relationships that can lead to campus friendships prior to the start of long-term clinical training placement.
