Nursing, nursing education, and anxiety

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychology
• Emotional Well-being

Background:

• Nursing education faces challenges impacting student emotional states.
• Understanding student anxiety is crucial for professional development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess emotional differences among associate, diploma, and baccalaureate nursing students.
• To identify predictors of anxiety regarding future nursing careers.
• To apply Mehrabian's emotion theory to nursing student experiences.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to 171 graduating nursing students.
• Measures included general anxiety, communication apprehension, and career anxiety.
• Analysis focused on differences between student groups and predictor variables.

Main Results:

• Baccalaureate students reported lower communication apprehension and higher dominance.
• Associate degree students' anxiety correlated with low dominance.
• Diploma students' anxiety linked to low dominance and communication apprehension.
• Baccalaureate students' anxiety associated with general unhappiness.

Conclusions:

• Emotional states and program type influence nursing student anxiety.
• Findings offer insights into nursing education's future and professional strategies.
• Mehrabian's emotion theory provides a framework for understanding these dynamics.