The measured impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students’ wellbeing, clinical placement and learning experiences: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: The epidemiological patterns of COVID-19 varied across Australia and differed from most other countries. Few studies describe the impact that the pandemic had on nursing student wellbeing, education and career.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on nursing students’ well-being, clinical placement and learning.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Sydney, Australia.

Participants: Second- and third-year nursing students.

Methods: Second- and third-year nursing degree students were asked to participate in an ethically approved study during March to May 2021. The de-identified on-line survey consisted of 63 closed end question and one open ended question. On completion, the dataset was exported from Redcap and imported into SPSS for analysis. Open ended text data were analysed by two researchers.

Results: Of the 105 participating nursing students, a third (n = 26/83, 31%) thought about changing their degree to a non-nursing degree. The acknowledged risk of caring for a COVID-19 patient incrementally increased stress (β-coefficient = 0.6, p value = 0.009, 95% CI 0.2–0.9). Conversely students who intended to complete their degree were less likely to report stress. Students who had prior nursing experience were three times more likely to report an increased generalised anxiety level (OR 3.8, p-value = 0.02, 95% CI 1.2–12.2), yet they were less likely to experience personal accomplishment burnout compared to other students. Nursing students who contemplated a change of degree to a non-nursing degree were 15.7 times more likely to experience emotional exhaustion and were 3.5 times more likely to be report a risk of depersonalisation (p = 0.03, 95% CI, 1.3–11.5).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic compromised nursing student well-being, and theoretical and practical learning. Findings have implications for healthcare and academic staff who teach nursing students. Implementation of student-centred evidence-based strategies to manage stress, burnout and anxiety, and to sustain a healthy student cohort is essential to retain the future nursing workforce.

Keywords:

• nursing
• student
• pandemic
• universities
• COVID-19
• burn-out
• anxiety
• stress

Acknowledgements

The first author SS-L conceived and designed the study with input from TL-J. AL & CA & SM facilitated data collection. Data analysis was completed by SSL, LZ and AL. All authors contributed to interpretation of data and intellectual content; drafting the article or revising and final approval of the submitted version. We would like to acknowledge and thank the nursing students who participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was partially funded by an internal UTS, School of Nursing & Midwifery Research Grant in July 2022. Grant funds were allocated to employ a part-time Research Assistant.