Relationships among hope, body satisfaction, wellness habits, and stress in nursing students

A Comparison of Psychological Well-Being, Coping Strategies, and Emotional Problems Between Taiwanese and Australian Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Nursing professional health courses have been reported to be very exhaustive and stressful, with most nursing students reporting moderate levels of stress.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to compare the spiritual well-being, coping strategies, psychological well-being, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation between Taiwanese and Australian nursing students.

METHODS

Three hundred eighty-one nursing students (180 from Taiwan and 201 from Australia) were recruited for this cross-sectional comparative research study. The Psychological Well-being Scale, Spiritual Well-being Scale, Coping Strategies Inventory Short-Form, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Zung Depression Scale, and Brief Screen for Adolescent Depression Scale were used to collect data. SPSS 27.0 was used for data analysis. Descriptive data analysis, chi-square tests, independent t test, Pearson correlations, and stepwise multiple regressions were used to examine the research questions.

RESULTS

Students in Australia had higher mean scores than Taiwanese nursing students for psychological well-being, life satisfaction/self-actualization, and using problem-focused disengagement coping strategies, whereas Taiwanese students had higher mean scores for using emotion-focused engagement coping strategies and depression than their Australian nursing students. Spiritual well-being and problem-focused disengagement were shown to be significantly and positively related to psychological well-being and significantly and negatively related to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in both groups. No significant difference between Australian students and Taiwanese students was found in anxiety, suicidal ideation, and negative-emotion-related alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The multiple regressions performed in this study support life satisfaction/self-actualization and the emotion-focused disengagement coping strategy as significant predictors of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in both student groups. The findings of this study help nursing program faculty better understand the key factors of influence on nursing student mental health and provide a conceptual framework for using problem-focused coping strategies and spiritual education on students.

Implementation of a Student Success Seminar and its Correlation with Resilience in Nursing Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

AIM

To identify sustainable curricular practices that promote student resilience.

METHOD

Sophomore students in a four-year baccalaureate nursing program attended a positive psychology seminar and a formal mentoring program led by senior- and junior-level nursing students. Sophomore students 'resilience was measured pre- and post-intervention using the Predictive 6-Factor Resilience Scale (PR6). Additional rich descriptions from the experience of the mentoring program were obtained in surveys from the study participants and mentors at the completion of the program.

FINDINGS

Quantitative and qualitative results supported a strong increase in resilience.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Nursing schools can provide students with sustainable support that promotes resilience.

Effects of the Perceived Risk of Contracting COVID-19 on Nursing Students' Well-Being

BACKGROUND

Although mental health symptoms increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the associations between nursing students' perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 and their academic and psychological well-being. This study examined associations between perceived COVID-19 risk, likelihood of completing nursing education, and mental health factors of nursing students.

METHOD

A total of 979 nursing students completed self-report measures of perceived COVID-19 risk, anticipated academic completion, anxiety and depressive symptoms, stress, coping self-efficacy, hope, and social support.

RESULTS

Students with higher perceived COVID-19 risk reported increased anxiety and depression as well as decreased likelihood of graduating, coping self-efficacy, and levels of social support.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate the need for increased mental health support for nursing students for successful completion of their programs. Educators should increase support and proactively strengthen positive psychology factors to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and other crises on nursing students' well-being. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(11):641-645.].