BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education worldwide, prompting a rapid shift to emergency remote teaching that challenged students’ learning and mental health. Nursing students, in particular, faced heightened pressures due to the suspension or online adaptation of essential clinical experiences, alongside the need to master theoretical and practical competencies. Emerging evidence indicates that such stressors adversely affect students’ emotional and psychological well-being, potentially influencing academic outcomes. Understanding the relationship between mental health and academic performance among nursing students is crucial for developing targeted interventions that support their well-being and professional readiness.

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzed the mental health status and academic performance of graduating nursing students during the challenging period of remote learning amid the pandemic in a government school in Leyte.

METHODS

The study utilized a descriptive correlational design to explore the relationships between mental health status and academic performance among nursing students. A modified self-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather data. Ethical approval from Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development ConsortiumEthics Review with ERC number 2023-024 was secured, and data collection occurred through various methods. Data analysis used SPSS version 24, emphasizing the importance of understanding these relationships in educational settings.

RESULTS

The study assessed the demographic profile, online learning attributes, mental health status, and academic performance of 20 nursing students during the pandemic. All students passed their courses, despite reporting moderate emotional loneliness and irritability, but minimal fear of COVID-19. Significant correlations were found between demographic factors and mental health indicators. The null hypothesis, suggesting no relationship between demographic factors and mental health, is void, as significant associations were identified. Recommendations include enhancing mental health support in nursing education to address these challenges.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the experiences of 20 nursing students from a government college in Leyte during the COVID-19 pandemic. Predominantly young women from rural, low-income backgrounds, these students faced challenges like poor internet access but successfully completed their academic requirements, showcasing resilience. While they reported low fear of COVID-19, moderate emotional loneliness and irritability indicated underlying mental health issues. The findings stress the need for educational institutions to provide mental health support and address the digital divide to enhance student well-being and success.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Statistics As Topic ; Psychological Well-being ; Indicators And Reagents ; Students, Nursing ; Suspensions ; Academic Performance ; Learning ; Pandemics ; Nursing ; Education, Nursing ; Covid-19 ; Mental Health

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, coping strategies, and willingness to go on duty in a COVID-referral hospital in Metro Manila among medical interns from March to April 2021.

METHODS

The study comprised medical interns selected via stratified random sampling and was conducted to meet the research objectives. Data were obtained through the Willingness to Go on Duty questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Filipino Coping Strategies Scale. Descriptive and inferential analysis (chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s correlation) of data was used in this study.

RESULTS

26.62%, 23.02%, and 13.67% of the 139 participants reported having severe to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, internship classification, training/track, presence of comorbidities, and living arrangement were not associated with psychological distress, while the use of some coping strategies was associated with some of these variables. 85.61% of the medical students who participated in the study expressed willingness to go on duty in non-COVID areas, while only 43.88% were willing to go on duty in COVID areas. Most of the participants who are unwilling to report in non-COVID areas reported having symptoms of moderate to extremely severe depression based on their DASS-21 scores.

CONCLUSION

Coping strategies used by medical students in this tertiary COVID-19 hospital during the pandemic differed across demographic variables and may be a function of societal and cultural norms. The top reason for the willingness to go on duty regardless of area of assignment (COVID or non-COVID) is the need for clinical learning experience and skills development, while the main reason for their refusal is the fear of being exposed to or contracting COVID-19.

Human ; Female ; Internship And Residency ; World Health Organization ; Students, Medical ; Referral And Consultation ; Psychological Distress ; Track And Field

BACKGROUND

Professional identity plays a significant role in alleviating role stress among healthcare professionals. However, these two factors are poorly explored in the midwifery profession.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the perceived level of professional identity and role stress and the relationship between them among midwifery students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was employed involving 379 midwifery students from SOCCSKSARGEN Region, Mindanao. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) and twelve-item Role Stress Scale (RSS) were used in gathering the data. Spearman rho, point-biserial correlation, and F-test were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The students’ mean score in professional identity was high (4.07, SD=0.46) while the mean score of the overall role stress was low (2.47, SD=0.51). There was a positive and significant relationship between age (rs=0.207, P

CONCLUSION

Midwifery students’ perceived level of professional identity was high, while their level of role stress was quite low. Age, year level, and marital status were significantly correlated with their levels of professional identity and role stress. Moreover, students with a higher level of professional identity may report low levels of role ambiguity, role overload, role conflict, and overall role stress.

Midwifery ; Students ; Role ; Cross-sectional Studies

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the perceptions of UST Occupational Therapy students regarding AI chatbots in the context of school-related activities. It will further focus on their concerns, utility, and perceived effects of AI on learning related to school activities

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design will be used and will utilize three focus group discussions, one for each year level (first, second, and third-year students), to gather extensive and accurate accounts of students’ perceptions. Thematic analysis, using manual coding and following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase analytic framework, will be employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study is expected to generate themes describing students’ perceived usefulness, concerns, and learning-related impacts of AI, providing insights that may support the responsible and informed integration of AI in occupational therapy education.

Human ; Statistics As Topic ; Therapeutics ; Students ; Occupational Therapy ; Focus Groups

Human ; Students ; Schools ; Occupational Therapists

Introduction: Medical student attrition and poor academic performance have implications for both medical schools and the future healthcare workforce. This study aimed to determine the demographic and academic characteristics of first-year medical students with low academic performance across different instructional modalities—traditional face-to-face, online, and HyFlex learning. Methods: This non-concurrent cohort study included first-year medical students enrolled from School Years (SY) 2018–2019 to 2024–2025. Student characteristics analyzed included sex, pre-medicine degree, pre-medicine general weighted average (GWA), National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score, and academic performance in annual first-year subjects. Low academic performance was defined as failure in at least one annual subject. Students were grouped according to instructional modality: face-to-face (SY 2018–2020), online (SY 2020–2022), and HyFlex (SY 2022–2025). Demographic and academic characteristics were compared between students with and without low academic performance. Results: A total of 2,936 first-year medical students were included. The proportion of students with low academic performance was 19% during the face-to-face period, 17% during the online period, and 27% during the HyFlex period. Across all instructional modalities, students with low academic performance had significantly poorer pre-medicine GWA than students who passed all annual subjects (p<0.05). During the online and HyFlex periods, students with low academic performance also had significantly lower NMAT scores than students who passed all annual subjects (p<0.05), whereas no significant difference in NMAT scores was observed during the face-to-face period. Conclusion Pre-medicine GWA was consistently associated with academic performance across face-to-face, online, and HyFlex instructional modalities. Lower NMAT scores were associated with low academic performance during online and HyFlex learning. Early identification of students with poorer pre-medicine academic performance and lower NMAT scores may facilitate timely academic support.
Students, Medical ; Academic performance ; Education, Distance ;

INTRODUCTION

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program spans four years and includes general education and professional courses. Student nurses attend lecture hours, clinical duties, and related learning experiences that might be affecting their time in attending to a healthy lifestyle. Health-promoting lifestyle is a multi-dimensional pattern of activities and perceptions that begins with self-motivation and assists in promoting self-improvement and health. The domains of health-promoting lifestyle are essential factors to further improve their way of dealing with daily challenges. Multiple factors can also influence student nurses’ lifestyles, including their separation from family, busy schedules, and dietary choices. A study highlights various factors affecting student nurses' lifestyles, underscoring the need for tailored health promotion strategies and curriculum enhancements. Research into these domains can better equip future healthcare leaders. Gender, year level, and living arrangements influence student nurses' lifestyles, prompting researchers to investigate the extent of health-promoting lifestyles among them and differences based on these factors. By addressing these domains and conducting further research, nursing education and practice can better prepare future healthcare leaders to promote health and lifestyle effectively within their communities.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the extent of health-promoting lifestyle among student nurses and identify the significant differences according to gender, year level, and living arrangement. 

METHODS

A quantitative, descriptive research design was used with 360 respondents, employing Yamane’s formula and quota sampling. The study adopted the Health-Promoting Lifestyle II questionnaire with a validity of 0.962.

RESULTS

Student nurses often engage in health promoting behaviors (mean=2.56). Male student nurses reported higher scores in health responsibility, physical activity, spiritual growth, and stress management compared to female students (p=0.40). Level IV students engaged in health-promoting activities more frequently than Level I students (p=0.74). Living arrangements did not significantly impact health-promoting lifestyles (p=0.99).

CONCLUSION

No significant difference in health-promoting lifestyles among student nurses. Respondents demonstrated the least health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in the domains of health responsibility, nutrition, and physical activity. In contrast, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management attained the highest mean scores.

Human ; Physical Activity ; Exercise ; Interpersonal Relations ; Students, Nursing ; Life Style

Medical students need the basic skills and techniques in family counseling to holistically manage a family. E-learning as a mode of teaching family counseling was experienced by medical students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a case series of ten medical students in a tertiary training hospital who described their thoughts and feelings about the e-learning platform used. A focused group discussion composed of seven students was conducted independently. The students’ perceptions on the use of e-learning were generally negative in nature. The volume of online learning materials to be studied and the poor-quality videos reflected the sudden shift to e-learning due to the pandemic. Limitations on the e-learning format resulted in the inability to recognize non-verbal gestures which was crucial in counseling. The poor internet connectivity within the students’ learning environment was a hindering factor as it prolonged the counseling. Positive perception was mainly due to the effectiveness of the instructor in teaching online family counseling. The adeptness in navigating online platforms and guidance to students during the demo-returndemo resulted in the achievement of the expected outcomes of the workshop. The high preference to face-to-face mode may be attributed to the number of negative perceptions by the students.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Students, Medical

Medical students need the basic skills and techniques in family counseling to holistically manage a family. E-learning as a mode of teaching family counseling was experienced by medical students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a case series of ten medical students in a tertiary training hospital who described their thoughts and feelings about the e-learning platform used. A focused group discussion composed of seven students was conducted independently. The students’ perceptions on the use of e-learning were generally negative in nature. The volume of online learning materials to be studied and the poor-quality videos reflected the sudden shift to e-learning due to the pandemic. Limitations on the e-learning format resulted in the inability to recognize non-verbal gestures which was crucial in counseling. The poor internet connectivity within the students’ learning environment was a hindering factor as it prolonged the counseling. Positive perception was mainly due to the effectiveness of the instructor in teaching online family counseling. The adeptness in navigating online platforms and guidance to students during the demo-returndemo resulted in the achievement of the expected outcomes of the workshop. The high preference to face-to-face mode may be attributed to the number of negative perceptions by the students.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Students, Medical

INTRODUCTION

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program spans four years and includes general education and professional courses. Student nurses attend lecture hours, clinical duties, and related learning experiences that might be affecting their time in attending to a healthy lifestyle. Health-promoting lifestyle is a multi-dimensional pattern of activities and perceptions that begins with self-motivation and assists in promoting self-improvement and health. The domains of health-promoting lifestyle are essential factors to further improve their way of dealing with daily challenges. Multiple factors can also influence student nurses’ lifestyles, including their separation from family, busy schedules, and dietary choices. A study highlights various factors affecting student nurses' lifestyles, underscoring the need for tailored health promotion strategies and curriculum enhancements. Research into these domains can better equip future healthcare leaders. Gender, year level, and living arrangements influence student nurses' lifestyles, prompting researchers to investigate the extent of health-promoting lifestyles among them and differences based on these factors. By addressing these domains and conducting further research, nursing education and practice can better prepare future healthcare leaders to promote health and lifestyle effectively within their communities.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the extent of health-promoting lifestyle among student nurses and identify the significant differences according to gender, year level, and living arrangement. 

METHODS

A quantitative, descriptive research design was used with 360 respondents, employing Yamane’s formula and quota sampling. The study adopted the Health-Promoting Lifestyle II questionnaire with a validity of 0.962.

RESULTS

Student nurses often engage in health promoting behaviors (mean=2.56). Male student nurses reported higher scores in health responsibility, physical activity, spiritual growth, and stress management compared to female students (p=0.40). Level IV students engaged in health-promoting activities more frequently than Level I students (p=0.74). Living arrangements did not significantly impact health-promoting lifestyles (p=0.99).

CONCLUSION

No significant difference in health-promoting lifestyles among student nurses. Respondents demonstrated the least health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in the domains of health responsibility, nutrition, and physical activity. In contrast, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management attained the highest mean scores.

Human ; Physical Activity ; Exercise ; Interpersonal Relations ; Students, Nursing ; Life Style