Background Stressors critically influence nursing students' well-being, academic performance, readiness for clinical practices, and professional development. This study tests a hypothesized model examining the effect of stressors on first-year students' readiness for clinical practice. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 553 first-year nursing students from three public universities in T & uuml;rkiye between April 15 and May 15, 2024. Institutional permissions and ethics approval were obtained (March 29, 2024; no. 621). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and path analysis. Results It was determined that nursing students' readiness for clinical practice increased as their stress related to education, relationships, confidence, and uncertainty, as well as their overall stress levels, decreased (p < 0.001). All stressors negatively impacted readiness for clinical practice of first-year nursing students, supporting all study hypotheses and explaining 73.5% of the variance in students' readiness for clinical practice. Conclusions The findings of this study strengthen the importance of psychological support for students to prepare them for clinical practices. Novice nursing students need a well-organized educational process that helps them manage stress and connect theory with clinical practice.