Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the emotional responses of nursing students to the COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristics of these responses using the Q-methodology. The focus of the Q-methodology is to discover research participants’ subjective viewpoints. In May 2021, 50 Korean nursing students from first year to fourth year were selected to participate in the study, and data were collected by asking them to classify 37 selected Q-statements in a normal distribution on a 9-point scale. In the final analysis, a P-sample of 38 nursing students was used. The emotional responses of the Korean nursing students were categorized into four types: self-protection (Type 1), pessimism about the current situation (Type 2), realistic optimism (Type 3), and developmental-seeking (Type 4). The four factors accounted for 39% of the total variance. The individual explanatory powers of the four factors were 8%, 12%, 13%, and 6%, respectively. Thus, the study explored the subjectivity of emotional responses of Korean nursing students to the pandemic. The study recommends considering the results for intervention programs that are designed to prepare nursing students for future health crises and pandemics.
Highlights
The Rationale for This ResearchIn December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) caused an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, which spread worldwide in three months, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global pandemic [1]
The four types of emotional responses observed among the Korean nursing students were self-protection (Type 1), pessimism about the current situation (Type 2), realistic optimism (Type 3), and developmental-seeking (Type 4)
Four types of emotional responses to the pandemic were identified among Korean nursing students
Summary
The Rationale for This ResearchIn December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) caused an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, which spread worldwide in three months, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global pandemic [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted tremendous burdens of morbidity and mortality on the world, while critically disrupting economies and societies globally [2] Several factors such as uncertain prognoses, an unfamiliar environment that infringes on personal freedom, and a lack of resources for testing and treating patients placed a great deal of stress on people. In particular, are more likely to experience emotional difficulties due to their rapidly changing clinical field. Their extensive curriculum has increased their workload compared to other departments and this has made preparing for the national nursing licensure examination tougher. Their extensive curriculum has increased their workload compared to other departments and this has made preparing for the national nursing licensure examination tougher. [5]
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