psychiatric disorders, distress and a variety of chronic illnesses than men (Pryjmachuk and Richards 2007) but have stronger beliefs they have control over their future health and that personal actions contribute to good health (Courtenay 2003).
Employment in Health Care Settings: Student nurses are often employed in health care settings prior to and during their nursing education, typically as assistants in nursing. A Norwegian study (Eriksen 2006) found workload, physical demands, exposure to role conflicts, threats and violence were higher in nursing homes than any other areas where nurses’ aides were employed. Positive challenges and control at work was also found to be lower in nursing homes (Eriksen 2006).
Psychological Wellbeing: University students in general tend to experience greater levels of distress when compared to similar non‑student populations and nursing students specifically report high levels of distress (Pryjmachuk and Richards 2007; Jones and Johnston 1997). However, there is a paucity of research investigating the potential relationship between the attitudes of nursing students towards health and their psychological wellbeing. A Japanese study investigated the relationship between workers’ attitudes towards health, lifestyle and mental health (Irie et al 1997), finding favourable health practices and attitudes towards health might help to maintain positive mental health.