Assessing perceptions about critical thinking, motivation learning strategies in online psychiatric and mental health nursing education among Egyptian and Saudi undergraduate nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic context prompts nursing students to be involved in online learning. Researchers indicated that critical thinking develops through the learning process, but the link between critical thinking and online learning in nursing does not have sufficient evidence. AIM OF STUDY: This research examines student perceptions about critical thinking, motivation, and learning strategies in online psychiatric nursing education among nursing students at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Saudi Arabia and Alexandria University in Egypt. SUBJECT AND METHODS: An online survey was designed to collect data anonymously. A total of 75 Saudi undergraduates and 105 Egyptian nursing students who met the inclusion criteria participated. The online survey assessed three parts: socio-demographic data, critical thinking motivational, and cognitive processing strategy scales. RESULTS: The current study found that using a motivating method for online learning inspired students to engage in critical thinking and cognitive processing strategies in a psychiatric and mental health nursing course, even in two different contexts. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that using motivational methods for online learning encourages students to engage in critical thinking and cognitive processing strategies in psychiatry and mental health care courses, even in two different settings.

Clinical stressors as perceived by first-year nursing students of their experience at Alexandria main university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Clinical hospital stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic are one of the problems that affect the quality of education among first-year nursing students, particularly in the first 6 months of their practice. OBJECTIVE: Assess the types and severity of clinical hospital stressors among first-year nursing students and investigate the relationship between students' clinical stressors and their level of worry from COVID-19. DESIGN: A descriptive correlational research design. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria's main university hospital. The study included a convenience sample of 200 first-year nursing students. TOOLS: Socio-demographic and academic data of nursing students. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is used to assess the degree and type of stressors. RESULTS: The highest reported types of stressors were stress from the clinical hospital (M = 13.54) and stress from a lack of professional knowledge and skills (M = 13). Concerning the overall stressors, all students experienced a severe degree of stress (M = 116.87). Furthermore, students' age, sex, number of study hours/week, number of assignments/week, and worry from COVID 19 were highly statistically significant with degrees of perceived stress as (p = 0.000, 0.030). CONCLUSION: Clinical hospital stressors had a significant negative impact on the majority of students' education in the hospital. As well as worrying about COVID 19, positively increased the perceived stressors of nursing students. RECOMMENDATIONS: Implement an educational program for the first-year nursing students about clinical hospital stressors during COVID-19 and trained them how they can cope with these stressors by using stress management.