The Relationships Among Nursing Students’ Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Caring Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Among the challenges that higher education faces, students’ mental health issues have become prominent. This study aimed to examine nursing students’ current state of mental health, including stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the relationships among students’ caring behaviors, stress, and PTSD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive survey study conducted in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instruments included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Caring Behavior Inventory student version, the PTSD Checklist-5, and a demographic survey, including five one-question items about students’ perceptions of satisfaction of instructor teaching, impact of faculty caring on confidence level in learning, faculty support, students’ self-rated stress, and impact of faculty caring on the ability to practice with empathy. Results: Ninety-five students participated in the study. Over 90% of the students reported moderate to high levels of stress. Forty-three students (45.3%) scored over 31 points on the PTSD checklist, a cutoff value indicating PTSD symptoms. Students’ stress scores were positively correlated with the PTSD checklist scores but were not significantly associated with students’ caring behaviors. Students’ perceptions of faculty support had significant and negative correlations with students’ PSS and PTSD checklist. Conclusions: Most students reported moderate-to-high-level stress, which was positively associated with PTSD symptoms. There were no significant correlations among students’ stress, PTSD, and caring behaviors. Students’ perceptions of faculty support may offset students’ stress and PTSD symptoms.