The impact of COVID-19 on stress and resilience in undergraduate nursing students: A scoping review

Abstract

Background Being a nursing student can be a stressful experience, faced with considerable academic and clinical demands. It has been suggested that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have further exacerbated the pressure nursing students face. It has been posited that resilience, a complex psychological concept, may help nursing students overcome stressful situations.

Aims The aim of this scoping review was to examine the relationship between resilience and stress in nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods Relevant publications were identified by a comprehensive search of the literature from January 2019 to September 2022 to capture relevant publications during the COVID-19 global pandemic period from the following databases: CINAHL, Medline Complete, APA PsycInfo, Ovid EmCare and Web of Science. Fifteen studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the review using Arskey & O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework for scoping reviews.

Results Our findings suggest that nursing students from all around the world have experienced high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost unanimously, resilience was identified as a key protective factor against stress and the development of psychological morbidity. Those nursing students with higher levels of resilience were deemed more likely to stay on track with their studies, despite COVID-related challenges.

Conclusion In conclusion, this scoping review adds to the well-established argument to incorporate resilience-building activities in undergraduate nursing curricula. Developing levels of resilience has the potential to empower nursing students for academic and clinical success, whilst facing the challenges of an ever-changing world.