“Complicated and Overwhelming”: Examining the Mental Health and Well-being of Undergraduate Nursing Students
Date
2019-09-19
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Abstract
Many students report feeling overwhelmed and stressed as they complete their academic programs given their developmental stage. Within nursing education, there are many factors that may affect the mental health and well-being of undergraduate nursing students. The literature regarding mental health and well-being in undergraduate nursing students indicates that academic pressures and poor coping skills often results in high levels of stress and anxiety. This mixed methods study explored the mental health concerns and levels of flourishing of undergraduate nursing students at the University of Calgary. Using an online survey, 159 participants completed the CCAPS-34 questionnaire and Flourishing Scale questions. Participants also answered open ended questions on what aspects of their nursing experiences affected their well-being and what the Faculty of Nursing could do to improve student mental health and well-being outcomes. Overall, undergraduate nursing students showed higher levels of flourishing despite also identifying moderate levels of concerns including depression, anxiety, and stress. Predominant themes related to well-being were that: the high academic workload led to high levels of stress and anxiety, the order of theory and clinical courses negatively impacted students’ learning experiences, the learning environment was often not supportive of students experiencing mental health concerns, and that more could be done by the faculty to increase student wellness. With the implications and considerations of this study, it is possible to make changes in academic programming and curriculum that will increase resiliency and positive copings skills in nursing students.
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Keywords
mental health, undergraduate nursing students, well-being
Citation
Odoko, O. (2019). “Complicated and Overwhelming”: Examining the Mental Health and Well-being of Undergraduate Nursing Students (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.