Nursing students' clinical practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: Fear of COVID-19 and anxiety levels

Background: With the normalization process during the COVID-19 pandemic, senior nursing students who receive applied nursing courses in Turkey shifted to face-to-face education. Clinical practices during the pandemic caused nursing students to experience fear and anxiety. Purpose: This study examines senior nursing students' fear and anxiety levels regarding clinical practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The researchers of this descriptive and cross-sectional study tried to reach the entire population, and the study was completed with 124 students who agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected using a 12-question personal information form, the 21-question Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the 7-question Fear of COVID-19 Scale on Google Forms. Results: The participants' mean Fear of COVID-19 Scale score was 20.00 +/- 7.71 (medium level). Their mean Beck Anxiety Inventory score was 14.23 +/- 15.44 (mild anxiety). A positive relationship was found between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety. Conclusions: The nursing students had a mild level of anxiety and a moderate level of fear of COVID-19 during their clinical practices.