Perception, Coping Behavior and Quality of Life during COVID-19 among Nursing Intern Students

Background: COVID-19 is the most recent pandemic, with a significant morbidity and mortality rate over the world. These types of crises can have a negative impact on the mental and physical health of health-care employees, particularly nursing intern students. As a result, the success of the COVID-19 nursing intern students' struggle will be determined by their perception and coping behavior used to improve their quality of life during the global pandemic. Aim: Current study aimed to assess perception, coping behavior and quality of life during COVID- 19 among nursing intern students. Design: Descriptive correlational comparative design was utilized. Sample: Convenience sample consisted of 400 nursing intern students which available in Minia university hospitals and 160 nursing intern students from 6 October university hospitals (total No. 560). Setting: Minia university hospitals and 6 October university hospitals, in Cairo, Egypt. Tools: four tools were utilized in this study. I: Personal characteristic data questionnaire, II: Perception about COVID 19 instrument, III: Coping behavior questionnaire, and IV: Quality of life scale. Results: this study revealed that more than two third of 6 October nursing intern students had satisfactory perception, nearly all intern students had moderate level of coping behavior, and more than two third of them had high level in quality of life. While Minia nursing intern students about two third of them had satisfactory perception, and moderate level of coping behavior, also about have of them had high level in quality of life. Conclusion: level of perception among nursing intern students was satisfactory, while coping behavior was moderate, and quality of life among them was high. There was a positive correlation and no statistically significant difference was found between perception and coping behavior; while there was a positive correlation and no statistically significant difference was found between perception and quality of life. Recommendation: Periodic workshop and training to improve and updating knowledge, perception and how to cope with COVID-19 that improve quality of life among intern nursing students.