The purpose of this study was to explore anxiety and stress experienced by first‐semester nursing students and identify sources of support during a transition from a face‐to‐face to an online learning platform during the first months of the COVID‐19 pandemic. This descriptive study used a web‐based survey distributed to nursing students 2 months after the completion of their first semester. The survey questions were adapted from the Anxiety Symptoms Checklist and the College Student Stress Scale. The survey link was emailed to 79 students, with 56 consenting, and 50 completing the survey. The most commonly reported symptoms were difficulty concentrating (90%) and feeling anxious or overwhelmed (84%). Most respondents reported anxiety related to the pandemic, with 84% being concerned about a friend or relative contracting COVID‐19, and with 70% fearful of becoming infected themselves. The majority of respondents expressed concerns related to difficulty handling academic workload (62%), and the need to perform well in school (56%). To decrease anxiety and stress, the faculty should foster a structured learning environment; abide by the course schedule; communicate changes or updates in a timely fashion; adapt assignments to fit the learning environment; utilize campus, local, state, and national resources; practice self‐care; and extend grace.

During the Spring of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools of nursing were challenged to change their educational delivery methods from a face-to-face to an online format. This article discusses educational strategies utilized to support clinical competency using an online format for a fundamentals of nursing clinical course. Discussions of regulatory considerations, faculty planning, and teaching pedagogy utilized during this transition are presented. The authors also discuss future implications and suggestions for attaining learning objectives for a clinical course using an online format.

This longitudinal study investigated anxiety, distress, and related symptoms experienced by undergraduate student nurses as they transitioned in March of 2020 to a virtual classroom due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in August of 2021 back to in-person learning. Qualtrics survey links were distributed at the end of the spring 2020 and fall 2021 semesters; survey response rates were 63% (n = 50) and 42% (n = 21), respectively. The 2020 cohort had a mean symptom rate of 4.32 out of 13 symptoms; the 2022 mean decreased to 2.47. Overall, symptoms decreased during the study period, but issues of anxiety and distress remained, particularly over academic-related issues.

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