The effects of a mobile phone-based psychological intervention program on stress, anxiety and self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students during clinical practice: A randomized controlled trial

Nursing students experience high levels of stress and anxiety during clinical practice. Although several psychological intervention programs have been developed to alleviate their distress, studies on the effects of mobile phone-based programs are limited.This study examined the effects of a mobile phone-based psychological intervention program on stress, anxiety, and self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students during clinical practice.A randomized, controlled trial was conducted among 114 nursing students for 8 weeks. The intervention group received mobile phone-based psychological intervention (3 modules: support, education, and reflection), while the control group received a conventional face-to-face intervention and advice from clinical educators. Data on stress (Chinese version of the Stressors in Nursing Students Scale), anxiety (State Anxiety Scale), and self-efficacy (General Self-efficacy Scale) were collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used analyze the intervention effects.Significant improvements in stress, anxiety, and self-efficacy (all P<0.05), and significant time and time-group interaction (all P<0.05) were observed in the intervention group than in the control group.Mobile phone-based psychological intervention programs alleviate stress and anxiety, and improve self-efficacy among nursing students during clinical practice.