IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pmen00/0000760.html

Implementing a mental fitness workshop in a Canadian Practical Nursing Program: A qualitative descriptive study

Author

Listed:
  • Linda Frost
  • Jana Borras
  • Ariel Dysangco
  • Vimbayi Carine Makwaira

Abstract

Nursing students experience high levels of stress that can negatively affect mental health and well-being. This study explored practical nursing students’ perceptions of the acceptability and perceived value of a brief mental fitness workshop integrated into nursing education. Two sessions from a condensed version of the Mastering My Mental Fitness for Nurses program were embedded within a fourth‑semester laboratory course. A qualitative descriptive design was used, drawing on reflexive thematic analysis of semi‑structured interviews (n = 5) and free‑text post‑session feedback forms (n = 49). Participants reported enhanced awareness of stress and burnout, reframed self‑care as a professional responsibility, and valued opportunities for peer connection through small‑group discussions. Students recommended earlier and more frequent integration within the curriculum and greater flexibility in delivery. While the findings reflect short‑term perceptions rather than clinical outcomes, the workshops were perceived as feasible and acceptable, with implications for mental health promotion and burnout prevention among nursing students. Future research should examine impact using validated mental health and well-being measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Linda Frost & Jana Borras & Ariel Dysangco & Vimbayi Carine Makwaira, 2026. "Implementing a mental fitness workshop in a Canadian Practical Nursing Program: A qualitative descriptive study," PLOS Mental Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(10), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pmen00:0000760
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000760
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000760
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000760&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000760?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pmen00:0000760. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: mentalhealth (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.