Learned helplessness among vocational nursing students: current status and influencing factors

To investigate the prevalence of learned helplessness among vocational nursing students and to analyze its influencing factors, to provide insights for nursing education.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among vocational nursing students from two vocational colleges in Fuyang, China using a stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using Learned Helplessness Scale (LHS, higher scores indicating a more severe degree of helplessness) and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90).

A total of 1,373 valid questionnaires were ultimately included in the analysis, yielding a response rate of 98.1%. The mean score on the LHS was 38.18 ± 16.67. The association between LHS scores and SCL-90 scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the following factors were significantly associated with learned helplessness: low per capita household income (< 3000 yuan), non-voluntary choice of major (joint decision, parental preference, or other), non-passive future career orientation (further education or employment), low self-perceived major satisfaction, and poor interpersonal relationships with classmates (P < 0.05).

The degree of learned helplessness exhibited by vocational nursing students is characterized as moderate, and it is influenced by many factors. Therefore, it is essential for educators, including instructors, head teachers, and clinical preceptors, to pay attention to the mental health status of nursing students. Schools should enhance their mental health education programs and strengthen home-school collaboration to provide timely and appropriate guidance to students.