Factors associated with perceived resilience among unergraduate nursing students: findings of the first cross-sectional study in Palestine

Aidah Alkaissi; Nizar B Said; Shorooq Qadous; Mahdia Alkony; Omar Almahmoud

doi:10.1186/s12912-023-01325-6

Factors associated with perceived resilience among unergraduate nursing students: findings of the first cross-sectional study in Palestine

BMC Nurs. 2023 May 5;22(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s12912-023-01325-6.

Authors

Aidah Alkaissi¹, Nizar B Said², Shorooq Qadous², Mahdia Alkony², Omar Almahmoud^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Nursing and Midwifery Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. aidah@najah.edu.
² Nursing and Midwifery Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
³ Nursing and Health Professions College, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine.

Abstract

Background: Resilience has emerged as a concept that could explain and predict good academic and well-being of students in stressful and traumatic situations. This study was conducted to assess resilience and identify predictors of high or low resilience scores among future nurses in Palestine.

Methods: This cross-sectional study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement. Undergraduate nursing students in all academic years were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire that contained the Trait Resilience Scale and the State-Resilience Scale. Multiple linear regression models were used to identify predictors of higher resilience scores and to control for potentially confounding factors.

Results: In this study, 290 students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 92.4%). The means of trait, state, and combined resilience scores were 71.4 (SD: 7.5), 62.7 (SD: 6.7), and 134.1 (SD: 12.8), respectively. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between state resilience scores and trait resilience scores (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Having a study routine on daily basis predicted higher trait (β = -0.20, p < 0.001), state (β = -0.12, p = 0.032), and combined (β = -0.18, p = 0.001) resilience scores. Trait and combined resilience scores were predicted by the absence of chronic diseases (β = 0.12, p < 0.05), experiencing addiction issues (β = -0.11, p < 0.05), living in Israeli seized areas (β = 0.16, p < 0.05), and living in a house with enough number of rooms per siblings (β = 0.13, p < 0.05). On the other hand, state and combined resilience scores were predicted by being in the first academic year (β = -0.18, p < 0.01), and state resilience scores were predicted by living in urban areas (β = -0.12, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Undergraduate nursing students in Palestine reported relatively high trait and state resilience scores. Higher trait, state, and combined resilience scores were predicted by having a study routine on daily basis. More studies are still needed to investigate the relationship between resilience scores, perceived well-being, willingness to care, and the future success of nursing students in Palestine.

Keywords: Nursing education; Nursing students; Psychological well-being; Resilience.