Awareness sessions for nursing students regarding most common mental health issues and the coping mechanisms among nurses in Lebanon

Abstract

The intern developed and implemented the project named "Awareness Sessions for Nursing Students Regarding the Most Common Mental Health Issues and Coping Mechanisms Among Nurses in Lebanon" at the Sahel Institute for Nursing Studies in Beirut, Lebanon. The project began in March and will conclude in May 2023. The project's goal is to spread awareness among nursing students about the most frequent mental health disorders that nurses in Lebanon may experience, the causes that contribute to them, and the coping methods that might help them manage. The overall number of students was 60 in the two classes TS and LT. The learners’ knowledge was assessed prior to the session and after it through a pre-post test taken by the students. An oral consent to receive the training and take the pre-post test was obtained from the students by the intern. The tests were kept anonymous to protect the students' privacy and the confidentiality of the information gathered. The scores of both tests were compared and analyzed. The results were analyzed in two aspects; the percentage of students who obtained each score during the pre-test and post-test, as well as the percentage of students who correctly answered each true or false question during the pre-test and post-test. The data and percentages were displayed using tables, bar graphs, and pie charts. The obtained results indicated 46.67% of the students were able to score 5 and above on the post-test and all six questions were answered correctly by 50% of the students or more. The project has two limitations: the pre-post exam was administered to the entire sample without piloting, and there was no control variables on the students. To conclude, it is recommended to take public health actions regarding this topic by including awareness sessions that would tackle the mental health among nurses in the nursing curriculum of universities and nursing schools. Furthermore, hospitals must prioritize the mental health of the nursing profession by taking initiatives that will benefit nurses.