Nursing students’ emotions, educational concerns, and the impact of study careers and professional futures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC medical education Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 278 - 8
• Main Authors: Song, Miaojing, Zhang, Lin, Ji, Qiqi, Ji, Pengjuan, Xu, Jiashuang, Chen, Yian, Guo, Leilei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13.03.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Career development planning; China; Coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curricula; Distance learning; Educational aspects; Emotions; Epidemics; Health aspects; Humans; Learning Processes; Nursing education; Nursing Students; Pandemics; Psychological aspects; Social aspects; Students; Students, Nursing; Undergraduate Students; China; COVID-19; Nursing students; Nursing education; Coronavirus disease 2019
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05231-6

COVID-19 is a challenge to education systems worldwide. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education on the study careers and professional futures of nursing students. The study was completed between March and June 2023 using a multi-stage sampling design. A total of 1126 nursing students were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of basic characteristics of the subjects, the COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions scale, the COVID-19-related concern for education scale, and the impact of the COVID-19 on study careers and professional futures scale (SCPFI-19 S). One-way ANOVA/t-test, correlation coefficient analysis, and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to explore factors influencing changes in study careers and professional futures, and the relationship between COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education. Univariate analysis of variance indicated that residence, willingness, and whether to engage in nursing after graduation were related to SCPFI-19 S (P < 0.05). COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education were significantly and positively associated with SCPFI-19 S (r = 0.566, P < 0.01; r = 0.199, P < 0.01). Stratified multiple regression analysis showed that COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education of nursing students were significant predictors of SCPFI-19 S. Overall, both COVID-19-pandemic-related emotions and COVID-19-related concern for education were significantly correlated with SCPFI-19 S. In future interventions, schools should consider structures and strategies to support students' mental health and educational trajectories during current and future epidemics or similar crises.