A Study of the level of Self-Esteem among B.Sc Nursing Students

Examining the Impact of Self-Esteem on B.Sc Nursing Students

by Dinesh .*, Dr. R. P. Shukla,

- Published in Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, E-ISSN: 2230-7540

Volume 17, Issue No. 2, Oct 2020, Pages 1330 - 1335 (6)

Published by: Ignited Minds Journals

ABSTRACT

This study aims to examine the level of self-esteem among B.Sc Nursing students. Self-esteem is a crucial psychological construct that influences individuals' overall well-being and performance. Understanding the self-esteem levels of nursing students is essential, as it may have implications for their academic success, personal development, and future nursing practice. The study will employ a quantitative research design and utilize a standardized self-esteem measurement scale. Data will be collected from a sample of B.Sc Nursing students using a structured questionnaire. The findings of this study will provide valuable insights into the self-esteem levels of B.Sc Nursing students, highlighting areas that may require attention and support within nursing education.

KEYWORD

self-esteem, B.Sc Nursing students, psychological construct, academic success, personal development, future nursing practice, quantitative research design, standardized self-esteem measurement scale, structured questionnaire, nursing education

INTRODUCTION

There are five distinct ages that people go through: infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and senescence. Each of these phases presents its own set of challenges and opportunities for growth. Whether a boy is preparing for manhood or a girl is preparing for womanhood, adolescence is a pivotal time of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional maturation. Adolescence begins with the development of secondary sex and ends when physical growth slows or stops at age 18–20, however the exact borders of this time are not easily defined. The transition towards adulthood can have profound effects on people's physical and mental wellbeing. The Latin word "adolescere" — which means "to grow, to mature" — is the source of our modern word "adolescence." In terms of personal growth, this is equivalent to "coming into one's own." The teenage years are the beginning and conclusion of the developmental period known as adolescence, which occurs between puberty and legal adulthood (age of majority). Adolescents fall between the ages of 13 and 19 in Erik Erikson's phases of human development. Adolescents are typically lumped in with younger people, whether they be children, teenagers, or young adults. Adolescents are defined in a variety of ways by various policies and programs. The Reproductive and Child Health Programme refers to adolescents as being between the ages of 10 and 19, whereas the proposed Youth Policy defines them as being between 13 and 19. Adolescence is defined as the period between the ages of 10 and 19 across the world. The process of establishing one's identity is continuous throughout the adolescent years. In the process of finding their place in a community, young people often try to make sense of their shifting physical appearance. Adolescents spend a good chunk of their time trying to make sense of the multidimensional self, of which body awareness is a component. People who matter to a teenager have high standards for how they should act. Often, these demands or expectations are strong enough to cause a person to act in a way that they may not do if they were responsible for their own identity creation. It's all too simple to fall into the roles prescribed by these environmental factors without factoring in individual aspirations or examining the impact of one's choices on one's evolving identity. Developing one's sense of self takes time and is plagued with moments of perplexity, melancholy, and despair. Adolescence is characterized by the crucial yet precarious task of establishing one's identity and position in the world. To be aggressive is to use force, be it literal or figurative. A harsh expressing of preferences through words or deeds is what this term refers to. Aggression is a selfish behavior that seeks to gain the respect of others by disregarding their rights, dignity, and emotions. When someone engages in violent behavior, they may temporarily achieve their goals, but at the cost of

without violence" is a way of behaving that allows one to recognize the rights of others without feeling guilty or anxious. Expressing oneself freely and honestly, standing firm in one's convictions, and speaking out when necessary are all characteristics of an assertive person. Taking an aggressive stance may improve your mood, make you feel more in charge of your life, and boost your self-assurance in interpersonal interactions. When people are confident in themselves, they are better able to advocate for themselves without putting others down or feeling guilty about doing so and to stand up for their own rights without infringing on those of others. Self-confidence is boosted when people act in an assertive manner. It improves their self-esteem and makes them more capable of forming meaningful bonds with others. This is achieved via being truthful, straightforward, appropriate, and respectful of one's own and other people's fundamental rights.

ADOLESCENCE

The Latin term "adolescere," meaning "to grow up," is where we get the English word "adolescence." It's the time between childhood and adulthood when a person is physically an adult but yet a child at heart. Because "adolescence" is a cultural and social phenomena, there are no clear physiological markers that indicate when it ends. Adolescence is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1986) as the time between the ages of 10 and 19. More than 1.2 billion people are between the ages of 10 and 19, with over 225 million living in India. Adolescence is a time of profound personal development and intense feelings. An other definition is the period of time throughout adolescence when a person's physical and mental development reaches a peak. It's a crucial time in life, when a lot of important things happen to set the scene for what's to come in terms of social, economic, biological, and demographic factors. This is a pivotal time in human development, when individuals face many challenges with long-lasting consequences. A person's sense of self develops throughout this time of exploration, discovery, and self-examination.

MAJOR ASPECTS OF ADOLESCENCE

Understanding teenagers requires familiarity with key features of adolescence, especially as they relate to physical and mental maturation. This would lead to a deeper comprehension of the issues surrounding the behavior and adjustment of teenagers, and ultimately, more successful therapies. Horrocks's (1954) book Adolescence captures several

  • Adolescence is often characterized by a quest for personal identity. Adolescents make an effort to develop their own identities apart from their parents and other authoritative figures. They begin to make their own choices about education, employment, and even financial stability.
  • Peer relationships usually become quite important during adolescence. An adolescent's primary concern is to be accepted and admired by his peers. That's why they exert a lot of effort trying to fit in with their peers. The development of heterosexual interests, too, can lead to emotional difficulties and even confrontations.
  • During this period, a person's body goes through a series of changes that follow a universally observed yet uniquely personal pattern. Physical maturity often occurs throughout the teen years. Because of this, there has been a dramatic shift in both body and self-perception. In addition, motor abilities improve.
  • Adolescence is a time of academic growth and intellectual maturation. Adolescents, because of their maturing brains, must learn to deal with ever-increasing academic and intellectual expectations. They are expected to acquire new abilities and ideas by expanding their horizons and understanding their surroundings in light of their newfound insights.

Self-Esteem

Having high self-esteem means believing in one's own strengths and abilities, It's the intangible quality of having a steady appreciation for one's own merits. At the most fundamental layers of one's psyche, it reveals how one thinks about and values oneself. By "the evaluation, which the individual makes and customarily maintains with respect to him/herself," Coppersmith (1967) defined self-esteem. According to Campbell and Lavallee (1993), self-esteem is "an attitude toward oneself that results from treating oneself as an object of evaluation."In addition, self-esteem is "the evaluative function of the self- concept," as defined by Hales (1989). One's sense of self-worth is an affective or emotional experience of the judgments one makes about oneself. It manifests as the critical aspect of one's sense of self. In order to paint a more complete picture of who we are, it's helpful to include not just our

dynamic growth of self-esteem is an evolutionary event, various scholars interpret the idea of self-esteem in different ways, based on scientific theories. Focusing on the humane viewpoint, the behavioral perspective sees it as a characteristic or learned trait.The person can live a happy and fulfilled life if he respects and loves himself. According to the cognitive view, this is because of how each person perceives the world and interacts with others. Low levels of self-esteem have been identified as a contributing factor to many of the issues that today's pupils encounter. It is impossible to overstate the significance of pupils' self-esteem in preparing them to deal with life's fundamental difficulties. Numerous positive outcomes in areas such as mental health, education, and relationships have been linked to this trait (Kernis, 2006).Students with low self-esteem are less likely to confront obstacles in their personal life, whereas students with high self-esteem are more likely to face difficulties and are better suited to cope with challenges. According to Branden (2000), self-esteem is the belief in one's own ability to meet life's primary difficulties and in one's own intrinsic value to joy. Some high school pupils have been demonstrating serious psychological dysfunctions due to poor self-esteem. One possible interpretation of low self-esteem is a belief in one's own inability to handle even the most fundamental of life's obstacles. Students who lack confidence sometimes hide their true feelings and desires for fear of what others would think of them. They are helpless and unable to defend themselves. They typically exhibit shyness and reticence. People who have a general distaste for themselves tend to view the world through more negative filters, which can lead to undesired actions. They have a short fuse because they bottle up their emotions. On the other side, they act out in ways that betray their poor self-esteem by becoming violent and fighting over little provocations, as well as by breaking school rules and regulations.

Factors like systematic punishment at home, neglect or maltreatment for failing to reach parental standards, poor love, and absence of warmth from important people have been linked to all these psychological and social dysfunctions caused by low self-esteem. In the middle of the 20th century, social-learning theorists led by Morris Rosenberg provided a definition of self-esteem as an unwavering conviction in one's own value. The concept of self-esteem as an essential human drive or desire is posited by a number of early ideas. Self-respect was a need identified by American psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of wants. He has identified two types of esteem: the regard one has for oneself and the esteem one has for others. Others' respect, which comprises their acknowledgment, acceptance, status, and admiration, was seen to be more

The greatest proponent of humanistic psychology, Carl Rogers, discovered that many people's difficulties stem from their own inability to value themselves and their belief that they are unlovable. Despite their correlation, there is a clear distinction between one's self-esteem's degree and quality. Individuals can display either low but secure self-esteem (as in humility) or high but unstable self-esteem (as in narcissism). Researchers, however, have a number of indirect methods at their disposal for gauging self-esteem. Stability, independence, implicitness, and automation are all viable options.

Stress

Stress is understood in the medical community to be anything that disrupts the body's balance. Attempting to deal with life's constant upheavals places a premium on the mind-body connection. Psychologists warn that prolonged exposure to high levels of stress is harmful to the human body, but argue that some level of stress is normal and even beneficial in some situations. However, stressful situations are inherently undesirable. As human endeavors rapidly expand and diversify, each of us will inevitably encounter a number of situations and experiences that might be considered stressful. Stress is a problem for everyone. Stress may be brought on by many different things, including difficult personal relationships, employment pressures, traffic jams, pressing deadlines, and the pressures of growing up. The second phase of Selye's model, adaptation or resistance, involves the body's ongoing adaptation to the pressure placed upon it. They report feeling awake, mobile, and free of any symptoms. In stage three of collapse, the body gets drained and weary from continuing to adapt. When this happens, a person is more likely to contract an illness. You might define stress as the reaction to demands placed on you by circumstances beyond your control. Stress can be caused by either positive or negative events. As a result, the researcher in this study looks at teenage stress and how assertiveness training might help them manage it. Based on this description, the study authors elaborated on the concept of stress from several angles, including stimulus orientation, response specificity and non-specificity, interaction, and a synthesis of all three positive and negative types of stress. Due to its widespread prevalence, stress has been the subject of several theoretical investigations. A person experiences stress when he or she evaluates a situation as threatening enough to warrant a shift in how they act, feel, or think about the world around them (Selye, 1946).

once menacing connotation, the term "stress" is now generally seen as simply another component of modern life. Independence from one's parents is a hallmark of the adolescent years. Adolescents' primary social setting outside of the home is the educational institution they attend. Adolescents' stress levels would be affected by factors such as the school's atmosphere, the curriculum, the testing, and the students' social support system. It's a cornerstone of modern psychopathology and one of the field's most important ideas. The study of human behavior and character has given stress a prominent place. Many philosophers consider it an essential feature of being human. As with adults, today's youth aren't immune to the effects of stress. Childish worries about failure, the future, excess schoolwork, intense competition, etc., are only some of the stresses that educators face. Many elements, including worry, ineffective time management, and dissatisfaction with free time, are affected by the rising prevalence of academic stress as a result of diverse circumstances in schools and universities. The current century has been appropriately labeled "the century of fear" and "the age of anxiety and stress" by writers such as Camius and Auden. Teachers, social workers, students, parents, psychologists, and many others have taken an interest in stress because of its prevalence in modern society. The ability to deal with stress is fundamental to healthy development and progression at any age. There are various things that might cause anxiety, such as starting a new school, being away from home for the first time, or questioning one's own worth in interpersonal relationships. It's a terrifying sensation that everyone has to deal with eventually. Adolescents take on the best and worst of their parents' and society's influences. To a large extent, their upbringing and the expectations of their family, society, classmates, and most importantly themselves will determine the path they ultimately choose during this stage. Adolescents experience emotional discomfort when they are unable to manage difficult events. Because of the stress they are under, people give in to harmful behaviors. Adolescents' perspectives on the world change as they mature from childhood. Adolescence is a psychological transitional period during which a kid no longer views himself or herself as inferior to his or her elders but as equal, at least in rights. Exams, grade competition, and a vast quantity of material to learn in a short amount of time are cited as the three most significant sources of academic stress among students, and these sources tend to occur at similar times each semester.

Development of Self Esteem

particularly parents and peers, as well as skill in self appraisal with relation to important features, are major determinants of self esteem. Attachment and unconditional parental support are particularly important during formative years. Self-esteem is a two-way street, and those who have it are better able to comprehend the optimism of those they hold dear.

An adolescent's sense of self-worth is crucial to his or her early growth and problem-solving abilities. One-third to one-half of adolescents, according to studies, struggle with poor self-esteem. Low self-esteem can lead to a variety of negative outcomes, such as depression, delinquency, self-inflicted injuries, and aggressive conduct.

Consequences of Poor Self-Esteem

The fallout from low self-esteem can take many forms. Low self-worth can lead to a loss of regard for oneself, a defeatist outlook, psychological and social vulnerabilities. Numerous studies have shown the lack of accuracy in the causal relationship between self-esteem and illnesses. This suggests that low self-esteem can function as both a cause and a consequence of problematic actions.

Harter presented the following ideas to combat the spread of low self-esteem and boost one's sense of value, based on study findings and his own work in the field of self-improvement.

  • Diminished difference between the ideal and real self.
  • Support objective perceptions with regard to self.
  • Boost the perception that, healthy self evaluations can be actualized.
  • Acknowledge one‘s outlook about his self esteem, belief with regard to basis and result of self worth.
  • Motivating the person, his or her important others to uphold the social support they contribute and accept

Getting forward in today's world requires top form, since competition is fierce and opportunities few. Excellence has always been valued in the classroom and across disciplines. It is natural for parents to want their children to achieve the highest potential levels of achievement. This expectation places a heavy burden on today's educators, classrooms, and the whole educational system. Although many other results are sought the schools' investment of time and energy. Researchers in the field of education all around the world are still looking for an explanation for this phenomena, thus the quest goes on. Struggles in the classroom have been linked to lower self-esteem and a wide variety of behavioral issues (Kemp, & Segal, 1998). Some teenagers may have trouble in the classroom and with their classmates because they have trouble articulating their emotions, calming themselves down, and understanding non-verbal signs. Children with learning disabilities are often aware of the differences between themselves and their peers as early as Kindergarten.\

Definition

Self-esteem, according to James (1890), is the result of one's "perceived competence in domains of importance." The way one feels about oneself, either positively or negatively (Rosenberg, 1965). A optimistic outlook on life leads to high self-esteem, whereas a pessimistic outlook on life leads to poor self-worth. The founder of self-esteem theory, Nathaniel Branden (1969), explains that self-esteem is the sum total of one's sense of competence and worth. According to Sanford and Donovan (1985), our level of self-approval is reflected in our self-esteem. A person's outlook affects not just his or her outlook, but also his or her purpose in life, degree of independence, likelihood of success, strengths and weaknesses, social standing, and relationships. A person's sense of pride in himself stems in part from his certainty in his own competence and the success he has achieved in the past. It helps him deal with adversity and gives him more confidence to tackle it head-on. Mruk (2006) particularly, focused on defining self-esteem in four ways. They are as: (1) an attitude, which refers to the cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions; (2) a discrepancy, referring to the notion that self-esteem is a result of a difference between the ideal self and the real self; (3) a psychological response, which is how a person views him or herself; these views are feelings-based and can be either positive or negative, or accepting versus rejecting; (4) a function of personality, it includes motivation and self management, or combination of the two. Self-esteem as an attitude refers to the cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions that one exhibits based on a positive or negative view towards a given object or person (Mruk, 2006). This definition provides a rather broad view of self-esteem in the sense that the focus on a given object or person‘ which makes the definition highly generalizable.

definition is also shared by an ethological perspective of self- esteem which suggests that self- esteem is an adaptation that evolved from the need to maintain dominance in asocial relationship. Based on the branches of psychology, Thomson (2012) focused on the definitions of self-esteem. Since social dominance is typically associated with attention and favorable reactions, one‘s self esteem therefore originates from social approval and compliance.

According to National Association for Self-Esteem (2014), self-esteem is definedas, ―the experience of being capable of meeting life's challenges and being worthy of happiness‖. Large number of studies recognize self- esteem as an important aspect of well- being (Rosenberg, 1985). It is also considered as manifestation of psychological and societal life adaptation and advocate adaptive behavior (Marsh, 1993). Researchers agree there are manifold benefits of having a positive self- opinion. It is stated that individuals with elevated self-esteem are mentally well and content (Branden, 1994; Taylor & Brown, 1988). Persons with low self-esteem are reported to be a victim of psychological distress. Higher levels of self psychological health and functioning is related to high self esteem and thought as essential. Lower level of psychological health and functioning is related to low self esteem level, which is not acceptable. Woolfolk (2004) states that, "It is accurately a product of our thinking and our actions, our values, ideas, and beliefs as well as our interactions with others. Practices that allow authentic participation. Cooperation, problem solving, and accomplishment should replace policies that damages self-esteem, such as tracking and competitive grading". Self esteem is a psychological aspect that has specific consequence on the emotional and cognitive aspect of an individual. Self esteem includes aspect of self- acceptance and self-dignity in distinction to the undue self-centeredness and self-importance, which is the characteristic of self- absorbed personalities.

CONCLUSION

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by providing insights into the self-esteem levels of B.Sc Nursing students. By understanding their self-esteem experiences, educational institutions can develop targeted interventions to support and empower nursing students throughout their academic journey and beyond.

REFERENCES

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Corresponding Author Dinesh*

Research Scholar, Bundelkhand University