Promoting Nursing Student Mental Health Wellness

Abstract

Background: Being aware of elevated levels of student psychological distress by nursing faculty, and subsequently responding to it, may diminish nursing students' experience of negative mental health well-being. Purpose: Relationships between perceived faculty support, resiliency, and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate nursing students were explored. Methods: An exploratory mixed-methods design was used for this descriptive, cross-sectional study. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, Brief Resilience Scale, Perceived Faculty Support Scale, a demographic questionnaire, and open-ended questions were used to collect data. A convenience sample of 989 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students from across the United States completed the surveys. Results: Study results revealed resilience strategies and psychological and functional supportive faculty behaviors and actions are substantial predictors of lower depression, anxiety, and stress in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. Conclusions: Investments in faculty development to support nursing student resilience may reduce the degree of negative mental health well-being that students exhibit related to nursing education and promote their successful transition to nursing practice.