Relationships Among Resilience, Stress, and Persistence in Prenursing Students During COVID-19.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created personal, financial, and academic challenges for prenursing students, which may hinder academic persistence. Understanding and supporting their well-being is important, as they prepare to apply to nursing programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore relationships among stress, resilience, and academic persistence in prenursing students intending to apply to either an on-campus or accelerated online nursing program. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational research design was used. Online survey data (N = 364) were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Campus-based prenursing students reported higher levels of stress and lower levels of resilience than their accelerated online counterparts. A significant negative relationship was noted between stress and scores on resilience and persistence measures in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Program-specific interventions promoting resilience and stress management techniques are needed to support prenursing student persistence, especially as they prepare for admission to nursing programs.