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

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.