Development and Effects of Positive Psychology Promoting Program for Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

The effects of positive psychology promoting programs for undergraduate nursing students were evaluated. The study was designed using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design; data were collected between June 22 and September 4, 2019. The participants were 37 nursing students, who were assigned to an experimental group (n=18) and a control group (n=19) at two colleges in D and P city. The positive psychology-promoting program was provided for six weeks (12 sessions, 100∼120 min.). The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, χ2 test, repeated measure ANOVA, and paired t-test with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. After receiving the positive psychology-promoting program, a difference in optimism (F=16.74, p<.001), psychological well-being (F=14.69, p<.001), and stress-coping strategy (problem solving; F=4.35, p=.015, social support; F=3.87, p=.028) was observed between the experimental and control groups. The results indicate that the positive psychology-promoting program was effective in increasing optimism, psychological well-being, and stress coping strategy in undergraduate nursing students. These findings will contribute to the development of a program to improve the mental health of undergraduate nursing students.