CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Situational Analysis

As quoted by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “He who is best prepared can serve

in his moment of inspiration.” Therefore, ready refers to the stage at which a

person has developed enough to profit from learning experiences and inspire,

such as readiness to enroll in a higher education institution (Bergh, 2011)

Throughout the world, student’s preparedness and academic performance is a

societal issue concerning numbers of people and mostly students themselves.

Though, every period of life, from childhood and adolescence to maturity, growth

and achievement is vital, a person's academic performance may be affected if the

demands placed on them are greater than their capacity for coping and resources.

It would make sense to assume that what happens during the transition stage plays

a significant role in the promotion of academic motivation, which is defined as

the degree to which students are treated as members of the institution, have choice

regarding their involvement in school activities, and feel a sense of belonging to a

university setting (McNeely, 2002). This, in turn, leads to the growth of a thriving

(hedonic) form of health.

There are so many factors that compromises a person’s preparedness towards

a specific happening or event. This study describes the problem and its factors

including the mental, social, physical and financial that affects the preparedness

of freshmen students in selected nursing schools in La Union. Exploring the said

factors of this ideology makes the researchers address the capacity of the

freshmen students to address the phenomena.

Overall health and preparedness is crucial to every individual whether what

type of situation they're gonna experience. This study is very significant for

freshmen nursing students to analyze and categorize the type of factor they are

experiencing towards the entry of their study action, and to become aware to the

possible coping mechanisms and possibly solutions to become fully prepared in

accordance to their specific needs.

Framework of the Study

This research is based on the general systems theory of Ludwig Von

Bertalanffy (1969), which states that a system is composed of interconnected

parts that work together to form a whole system. These interconnected parts are

the subsystems. The subsystems are what describe and define the entirety of the

system.

For this research, the systems are the first-year nursing students while the

subsystems are their holistic state – mental, physical, emotional, social and

intellectual.
 Input Process Output

Demographic Variable  Distribution of Preparedness of

 Age Questionnaires Freshmen Nursing
 Sex  Statistical Treatment Students
 Gender of Data  Mental State
 Academic  Interpretation and  Physical State
Background Analysis  Emotional
 Financial Status State
 Social State
 Intellectual
State

Feedback

Statement of the Problem

This study was aimed to determine the factors that significantly affect the

successful fulfillment of a student’s role. Specifically, it sought to determine the

following:

1. To describe preparedness to the extent of:

a) Mental

b) Physical

c) Emotional; and

d) Financial

2. To identify and understand interrelated effects:

a) Short-term

b) Long-term

Definition of Terms

Preparedness - a series of actions and steps as a precautionary measure to

face possible calamity. In psychology, readiness refers to the way in which an

individual's brain, genes, and behavior are unwittingly predetermined to react in

specific situations. What this means is that the idea of biological preparedness is

connected to the idea of innate behavior. (Happy, 2022)

Freshmen - a first-year student at an educational institution or college. There

are plenty of instances in which first-year students may experience some level of

frustration, or even anger, at an educational environment that gives them the

impression that it has cast them adrift on a sea of academic challenges. (Geneseo,

2022)

Nursing - It is a specialized profession that provides care to individuals,

families, and the community. Nursing is both an art and a science. It takes both a

heart and a mind to do it well. At its core, it is based on a deep respect for the

dignity of each person and an instinct for what they need. This is backed up by

the mind, which does this through hard-core learning. (ANA, 2012)

Mentally Prepared - It is when your thoughts and actions that you are aware

of match up with the things you do without thinking about it. It's what you do in

your head to get ready for something. The first step is to know exactly what you

want to achieve. (Damiano, S. 2017)

 Financially Prepared - For other people, it means living a debt-free life and

having some extra cash on hand in case of crises. Others define wealth as having

enough money to satisfy their families' needs while also pursuing their own

aspirations.

Health - Health is "a condition of total physical, mental, and social well-

being and not only the absence of disease or disability," according to the World

Health Organization. Health is seen as a resource and as a whole, personal thing

that depends on the situation. It's not enough to be healthy just because you don't

have any diseases. You have to look at your whole life. Family functioning and

the well-being of children are important parts of what it means to feel healthy and

whole. (Svalastog, A. et.al., 2017)

Mental Health - A person's state in terms of their psychological and

emotional health. Emotional, psychological, and social well-being all contribute

to what is known as "mental health." It has an impact on our reasoning, emotions,

and behavior. It also plays a role in shaping how we respond to pressure, interact

socially, and make decisions. Positive mental health is essential at all ages, from

early childhood through old age. (Mentalhealth.gov, 2022)