The COVID-19 pandemic from the viewpoint of nursing

Aim: To assess nursing students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their perspectives on state-mandated work.Methods: Cross-sectional study, original online survey. Statistical analysis was performed at the significance level of 0.05 (Pearson chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, test of ordinal independence, and Spearman correlation).Results: 390 nursing students participated in the survey. Students from the Secondary School of Nursing worked under supervision more often than students from Colleges and University (p = 0.000). Declared emotional stability and subjective feelings of resilience to stress increased with the increasing age of respondents (p = 0.000). The frequency of negative emotion declaration differed between genders. The frequency of the stated negative emotions, "fear" (p = 0.049), "concern for one's health" (p = 0.010), and "tiredness and exhaustion" (p = 0.004), was more often declared by women.Conclusion: Respondents declared that the state-mandated work obligation had a significant impact on their studies. Despite the results, students reported that they are satisfied with the work and would like to continue in the future (61.28%). The greatest benefit for nursing students was acquiring new knowledge and practical skills in patient care (80.51%). Students declared that it was beneficial to enhance their critical thinking skills (88.72%), gain independence in making clinical decisions (87.18%), and experience in performing professional activities (81.20%).