An Investigation of Nursing Student Anxiety Levels Before and After a Mental Health Clinical Rotation

Abstract There is a dearth of research regarding the severity of prelicensure nursing students’ anxiety in the mental health clinical setting. Using a repeated-measures design, this quantitative study aimed to measure associate degree students’ anxiety levels before and after their mental health clinical rotation. Students’ high levels of anxiety before entering the clinical setting decreased after one clinical day. The results support the need to improve nursing education and research to address anxiety in this student population. Strategies to reduce students’ anxiety before, during, and after their mental health clinical rotation should be investigated.