Heading for the Frontline: Mood, Stress, Resilience, and Coping of Nursing Graduates during a Global Pandemic

Victoria R. Terry, Renee L. Parsons-Smith, Jessica Elliott, Geraldine Roderick, Patricia Luyke and Peter C. Terry ()
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Victoria R. Terry: School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Renee L. Parsons-Smith: School of Psychology & Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Jessica Elliott: School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Geraldine Roderick: School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Patricia Luyke: School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Peter C. Terry: Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: COVID-19 affected health and wellbeing globally. Graduating nursing students face a variety of stressors, and entering the nursing profession during the pandemic adds additional stress. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, mood, perceived stress, resilience, and coping were assessed in an Australian sample of 112 graduating nursing students, who completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). Mean BRUMS scores for tension, fatigue, and confusion were significantly above population norms and vigour scores were significantly below. Mean PSS-4 scores were reflective of population norms but showed higher levels of stress among younger and on-campus students compared to those who were older or studied externally. BRCS data showed that 82.1% of graduating nursing students were medium- or high-resilient copers. Mood profiles suggested that 19.6% of participants reported moods associated with mental health issues, 23.2% reported moods associated with risk of burnout, and only 17.9% reported mood profiles associated with positive mental health. High mean tension scores reported by graduating nursing students indicated apprehension about joining the profession, although stress, resilience, and coping scores suggested they were adequately managing the additional stressors generated by the global pandemic.

Keywords: affect; coping; COVID-19; emotion; feeling; mood; nurse; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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