CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2021 - 20

20

RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP

Nursing Graduate
Students Report
High Levels of Stress,
Anxiety, Depression
NEARLY ONE-QUARTER OF SURVEY
RESPONDENTS AT CU COLLEGE OF NURSING
REPORT STRUGGLING WITH STRESS, DEPRESSION
AND ANXIETY; ALMOST ONE-QUARTER MORE
SCORE WITHIN AREA OF CLINICAL CONCERN

R

By Dana Brandorff

esearchers at the University of Colorado
College of Nursing have found that nearly
one-quarter of graduate nursing students have
reported elevated levels of stress, anxiety and
depression, compounded in the past year by
the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study findings, published recently in Nurse Educator, also reveal that 23.8% of student respondents scored within the area
of clinical concern for PTSD and immune system suppression.
" Professions in healthcare are assumed to be high-stress,
but the past year brought challenges so unprecedented
that it's critical to understand how our students - who
juggle clinical work and studies - are faring, " says Laura
Rosenthal, DNP, associate professor at the University of
Colorado College of Nursing and study author.
Graduate students (n=222) within CU's College of Nursing
participated in the study, which utilized a cross-sectional
149-item electronic survey that included two validated
instruments: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale
(DASS-21) and Impact of Events Scale - Revised (IES-R).
Nearly 10% of respondents reported severe or extremely
severe scores in depression and anxiety axes, while 14%
responded similarly on the stress axis in the DASS-21.
The IES-R results found 23.8% of respondents had clinically concerning scores, 9.5% had a possible diagnosis of
PTSD and 6.2% scored high enough to possibly suppress
immune system functions.

CU College of Nursing | Spring Summer 2021

Study findings also suggest that students who experienced abrupt and
mandatory changes in clinical work
hours - decrease or increase - or
had previously worked in a hospital
pre-pandemic were at greater risk for
clinically concerning scores.
" These study results are crucial in
understanding how to take care of
our future workforce who are already
on the front lines, " says Rosenthal.
" Controlled and current mental health
challenges can be amplified, and students without any underlying mental
health concerns can experience trauma
during extreme periods of stress and
uncertainty as experienced during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Gauging anxiety, stress and depression can help
educators and administrators provide
adequate support to our student population who may be struggling. "

Laura Rosenthal,
DNP
CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2021

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