# Burnout, Work Engagement and Other Psychological Variables During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Nursing Students with Clinical Experience: A Pre–Post Study

## TL;DR

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of nursing students during their first clinical placements, finding high burnout levels but also protective factors like work engagement.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the psychological impact of the pandemic on nursing students and identifies engagement as a protective factor against burnout.

## Key findings

- 47.2% of nursing students experienced high burnout during their clinical placements in the pandemic.
- Work engagement protected against fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.
- Psychological dimensions of students changed significantly during the pandemic.

## Abstract

Aims: To analyze the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students who had just completed their first period of clinical placement and compare these results with a study previously conducted on the same students during their university education. Design: A pre–post design was used. Methods: Students who had already participated in a previous (February 2021) related study were sent a follow-up questionnaire (response rate = 52.8%) at the end of their clinical placement training period (June 2021). Descriptive analyses of the study variables were conducted, and burnout levels were estimated after the students had completed their clinical placement. Predictive models for the three dimensions of burnout were then obtained using multiple linear regression. Results: The study results suggest that a high proportion (47.2%) of nursing students who performed their first clinical placements during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced high levels of burnout. However, engagement was a protective factor against fear of COVID-19, anxiety, neuroticism, emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment. Conclusions: Nursing students who completed their first clinical placements during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to exhibit high levels of burnout and showed significant changes in their psychological dimensions. A risk profile should be established to identify the nursing students most vulnerable to developing high levels of burnout.