Addressing the Mental Health of Nursing Students During the Pandemic: The Evaluation of a Needs Assessment by a College of Nursing Mental Health Task Force

Author(s)

Lori L. Vick PhD, RN, University of South CarolinaFollow
Phyllis Raynor PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, University of South CarolinaFollow
Rachel S. Bush DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, MDiv, LPC, University of South CarolinaFollow
April Hutto
Maryellen Potts
Dianna Inman
Stephanie Schaller DNP, PPCNP-BC, University of South CarolinaFollow
Cheryl Nelson
Alicia Ribar
Karen Worthy, University of South CarolinaFollow
Jessica McCormick, University of South CarolinaFollow
Beverly Baliko PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, University of South CarolinaFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A Mental Health Task Force (MHTF) was developed in a large public college of nursing in the Southeastern United States to address the urgent mental health needs expressed by growing numbers of nursing students related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). AIMS: The purpose of this study was to report on a needs assessment conducted by the MHTF. METHODS: The needs assessment study design was a 16-item cross-sectional online survey and four "Town Hall" focus groups with nursing students, faculty, and staff (n = 1-8 participants per group). Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and free-text questions from the survey and focus groups were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. RESULTS: Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 115) ranging in age from 17 to 50 years completed the survey; 95% female, 94% full-time, 56% employed, 77% White, and 81% in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Eleven students participated in the focus groups. The analysis of the free-text survey questions identified the students' perceived needs. Mental health care was the most frequently requested, followed by faculty check-ins, stress management, and peer support. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of the survey provided an opportunity for students to communicate concerns and make requests. To address the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students, multi-modal needs assessments should be conducted periodically to identify priority mental health needs.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1177/10783903231205495

Publication Info

Published in Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Volume 29, Issue 6, 2023, pages 447-456.

APA Citation

Vick, L. L., Raynor, P. A., Bush, R., Hutto, A., Potts, M., Inman, D., Schaller, S., Nelson, C., Ribar, A., Worthy, K., McCormick, J., & Baliko, B. (2023). Addressing the Mental Health of Nursing Students During the Pandemic: The Evaluation of a Needs Assessment by a College of Nursing Mental Health Task Force. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 29(6), 447–456. https://doi.org/10.1177/10783903231205495

Rights

© The Author(s) 2023.