Emotions and Stressing Situations Adaptation of Nursing Students in the New Normality

Abstract

Background: New normality is uncertain in every sense, specifically in education and for many health disciplines. Being immersed in COVID-19 pandemics brought serious consequences for mental health, and is very important to handle emotions and stress coping strategies to obtain positive outcomes. Objective: To identify the most frequent emotions, as well as the adaptation strategies to the new normality faced by the students of nursing. Methods: Qualitative and phenomenological research, with the participation of 20 students from both genders in the middle term of nursing career at Faculty of Higher Studies Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, from August to November 2021. Information was collected from a focal group for ten sessions; analysis was according to De Souza Minayo, and there was a signed informed consent letter from participants. Results: Four categories emerged with sub-categories. Category I Maximized emotions. Sub-categories: 1) Frustration, anger, disappointment; 2) Personal disappointment, hopelessness, uncertainty; 3) Depression. Category II Support elements close to the new normality. Sub-categories: 1) Family communication; 2) Education for mental and physical health. Category III Stressing situations that exceeded the student. Sub-category: Disease in lovely ones. Category IV Stress coping strategies. Sub-categories: 1) Friends and relatives that help to get better; 2) Family values. Informers pointed out to have maximized emotion, and having no self-control on its negative outcomes occurred; in addition, the situation was not favorable at home with several losses of loved ones, as well as a poor economy that threatened students to give up studies. Conclusion: Emotions facing this new normality are very important and should be attended to, their proper handling will result in a new learning of socio-emotional abilities, stress coping strategies development, better adaptation and informed decisions taken.