Predictors of nursing students' stress, anxiety, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Hispanic-serving University in South Texas: A cross-sectional study

Background: In nursing education, there have been several studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability of nursing students to cope while in nursing school. Purpose statement: The goal of this study is to assess undergraduate nursing students' support mechanisms as predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic within a Hispanic-serving institution in South Texas. Methods: Across-sectional design was used in this study. An online survey using self-reported questionnaires was used to gather data from an undergraduate nursing student cohort during the Fall 2021 semester. Linear regression was used to identify the predictors of student mental health. Results: Higher resilience and spiritual well-being were associated with reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. Higher family functioning was associated with reduced perceived stress, and student employment as a salaried worker in a healthcare facility was associated with reduced depression. Finally, recovering from a symptomatic COVID-19 infection was associated with increased perceived stress. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental effect on nursing students' mental health, exacerbated by the transition to virtual learning. Fostering resilience and spiritual well-being in addition to targeted faculty support to nursing students that recovered from COVID-19 may promote improved mental health in a pandemic context, for nursing students immersed in the predominantly Hispanic-American culture of South Texas.