The effect of mentoring program on adjustment to university and ways of coping with stress in nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

BackgroundMentoring programs are effective in improving some characteristics related to university adaptation, such as increasing student satisfaction, gaining social skills and effective communication, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving cognitive and psychomotor skills as well as academic performance. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of mentoring program on adjustment to university and ways of coping with stress in nursing students. DesignThis quasi-experimental study was carried out using a nonrandomized control group pretest and posttest design. SettingThe study was conducted at a university school of nursing in Turkey. ParticipantsNinety-one first-year undergraduate nursing students were included in the study. MethodsThe 8-week peer mentoring program was conducted with the experimental group. The Adjustment to University Scale (AUS) and The Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI) were measured at preintervention and postintervention. ResultsThe posttest mean scores of AUS of the experimental group were statistically higher than the control group (p < .05). The posttest mean scores of optimistic and seeking social support approaches of the experimental group were also statistically higher than the control group (p < .05). Mentoring program had an effect on self-confident, optimistic, seeking social support, submissive, and helpless approaches in the experimental group (p < .05). ConclusionMentoring program had a positive effect on adjustment to university and ways of coping with stress in nursing students. These study results indicate that this program can be used to increase the adjustment to university and ways of coping with stress in nursing students.