Influence of psychological stress and coping styles in the professional identity of undergraduate nursing students after the outbreak of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in China.

Aim: To investigate the influencing factors in professional identity of undergraduate nursing students after the outbreak of COVID-19.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: The study covered 2,999 nursing students in six undergraduate nursing schools. Several self-report questionnaires were used to collect the general information, psychological stress, coping styles and professional identity of the undergraduate nursing students.

Results: The overall average score of the professional identity of nursing students (3.67 ± 0.51) has increased significantly after the outbreak of COVID-19. The professional identity of the undergraduate nursing students was negatively correlated with psychological stress (r = -0.23, p < .001), expectation (r = -0.12, p < .001) and avoidance (r = -0.16, p < .001), but was positively correlated with solving problems (r = 0.18, p < .001) and seeking support (r = 0.12, p < .001). Academic performance, positions, grades, reasons for choosing a nursing profession, parents or relatives engaged in nursing work and the risk degree of residence were the factors influencing the professional identity score of undergraduate nursing students' (p < .001).