Examining Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies of University Students during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan

Exploring predictors of perceived stress: a cross-sectional study among nursing students during their clinical practice

Background

Clinical practice is a demanding academic activity for nursing students, and a variety of factors can affect this perception. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of perceived stress among Indonesian nursing students during their clinical practice.

Methods

From September to November 2022, this cross-sectional investigation was carried out. Five questionnaires, including the socio-demographic, the PSS, the GHQ, the CBI, the MSPSS and the RSES, were completed by 208 participants. With significance set to p < 0.05, the Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were carried out.

Results

Coping strategies (r = 0.20, p < 0.01), overall health (r = 0.50, p < 0.01), social support (r = -0.34, p < 0.01) and self-esteem (r = -0.51, p < 0.01) were all substantially linked with perceived stress. Furthermore, age (β = -0.22, p < 0.001), coping style (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (β = -0.42, p < 0.001) substantially predicted perceived stress among nursing students.

Conclusion

The study's findings revealed strong relationships between perceived stress and general health, coping mechanisms, self-esteem and social support. These results can be utilised as evidence to help educators and other stakeholders develop programmes that effectively manage stress among nursing students during their clinical rotations.

Impacts of Transitioning to an Online Curriculum at a Graduate School in South Korea Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study focuses on the impacts of implementing an online curriculum at a graduate school in South Korea in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A framework distinguishing impacts to academic, educational, and institutional stakeholders from the virtualization of curricula as well as general COVID-19 prevention measures is invoked to help understand the impacts of these changes. These impacts are sourced from general graduate school operations, course evaluations for two compulsory courses, and unofficial interviews with students and professors. A statistical evaluation of the course evaluations suggested no significant difference between the online format of 2020 and the traditional in person formats in prior years in terms of academics and education. Unofficial meetings with students and faculty revealed technical issues throughout 2020, which many could not be resolved due to the variety of different computer systems at the school as well as limited technical support. Most importantly, students stated they were suffering from prolonged mental and emotional distress such as feeling isolated. Lessons learned include having academic institutions prepare for difficulties in technical support, educational infrastructure investments, compliance, as well as student body mental health.