Anxiety and its associated factors Among Undergraduate Nursing Students During Psychiatry Clinical Placement: A Cross-sectional Study in MARDAN Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The clinical education setting is a complex social unit that affects student skills within the clinical setting. Anxiety influences the student's performance in the clinical setting since it initiates the fight-or-flight response, leading to a positive or negative outcome. Objective: This study evaluates anxiety among students when they start rotation in the clinical area. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the anxiety level among undergraduate nursing students during psychiatry/mental health nursing clinical rotations in the psychiatry unit. Participants were recruited through the probability sample method. The sample of the study consists of 93 students of undergraduate level. A self-adapted questionnaire was distributed manually to collect data. Results: According to the survey result, 67.7% of students have a normal range of anxiety, whereas 32.3% of students have mild to moderate levels of anxiety during psychiatry clinical rotation. Conclusions: The study identifies a significant link between anxiety levels and semester, notably higher in the 6th semester and a marginal association with race. With majority in the normal range and few with mild to moderate anxiety, it suggests targeted support programs for students, especially in high-anxiety semesters.