Perceived Stress, Psychological Resilience, and Achievement Motivation Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Nursing students face multiple stressors that may impact their academic performance, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation, particularly within demanding nursing education and clinical training environments. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing interventions to support student well-being. Objective This study aimed to examine the relationships among perceived stress, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation in nursing students, and to investigate whether resilience and motivation predict stress levels. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 295 nursing students. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, and a motivation assessment form. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression. Results Female students had higher motivation scores than males (t = 3.634, p < 0.001), and students receiving psychological support had lower perceived stress (F = 3.056, p = 0.049). Perceived stress was negatively correlated with resilience (r = − 0.128, p < 0.05), and resilience was positively correlated with motivation (r = 0.322, p < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that psychological resilience significantly predicted perceived stress, while motivation did not. Conclusions Psychological resilience is a key protective factor against perceived stress in nursing students and is positively associated with achievement motivation. Interventions to enhance resilience and targeted psychological support embedded within nursing education programs and clinical training may improve student well-being and academic outcomes.