Emotional and Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nursing Students

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental health and educational experiences of nursing students in undergraduate and graduate programs. A larger mixed-methods study aimed to understand how COVID-19 impacted personal lives and learning experiences of students across all programs levels. This article reports on qualitative data obtained from focus groups organized by student program level. Six themes emerged, including fear and uncertainty, trust in God, educational and career concerns, concerns about family, mental health issues, and isolation/lack of human touch. Key areas covered are the emotional and psychological effects of COVID-19 and its factors and the role of faith during COVID-19 among nursing students.