Effect of the pandemic on stress perception of nursing students during clinical internships: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aim: In nursing education, which has been significantly affected by the pandemic, continuing clinical internships, depending on the awareness that students have developed against coronavirus, has been an important source of stress. This study aims to determine the perceived stress of nursing students who resumed internships in surgical clinics after the pandemic and the role of their coronavirus awareness in it. Methods and Materials: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with the participation of 161 nursing students who received education in the nursing department of a university between May and June 2021 and performed the clinical practice of the Surgical Diseases Course. The "Student Information Form," "Coronavirus Awareness Scale (CAS)," and "Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS)" were used to collect the data. Results: It was found that the mean score of the PSSNS was 77.8 +/- 23.6. and of the CAS was 64.7 +/- 9.8. It was found that the PSNS total and subscales' scores have negative correlations with the Awareness of Following Current Developments subscale of the CAS. Conclusion: It was determined that the stress level of the nursing students who resumed internships in surgical clinics after the pandemic was above average. Stress levels of the students were related to their awareness of following current developments regarding coronavirus. Although the pandemic has ended, the stress that nursing students may perceive when resuming face-to-face education in similar situations that may arise in the coming years and some factors that may be related should be determined. (c) 2023 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.