Anxiety-Reduction Training BACKGROUND • First-semester practical nursing instructors observe the uncontrollable and debilitating anxiety students experience with inclassroom exams and skill performance in the practice lab setting.1 • Anxiety among nursing students has been widely documented as a contributor to impaired academic performance, decreased clinical judgment, and increased risk of burnout. • By implementing anxiety-reducing techniques, instructors can help students manage their anxiety.2 Lewin’s change theory was the framework for this project. Deliverables: • Student anxiety reduction flyers for faculty anxiety-reduction training • Pre- and post-surveys to gauge instructors’ awareness about anxiety and overall confidence in supporting students through anxiety • PowerPoint training to give faculty evidence-based strategies for anxiety reduction • Quick Calm toolkit for faculty to help ground themselves before they mentor and lead students • Step 1: Distribute fliers for the anxiety reduction workshop • Step 2: Workshop presentation to faculty introducing two anxiety-reduction strategies • Step 3: Administer the pre-pass-off confidence survey to faculty • Step 4: Introduce positive cognitive cues at a faculty meeting • Step 5: Reflection activity on sterile glove donning • Step 6: Distribute the faculty anxiety reduction toolkit • Step 7: Post-pass-off, faculty confidence survey handout, and review for feedback IMPACTS • Faculty behaviors directly affect PN students’ anxiety levels in their first semester.3,4 • Student anxiety is a system-level educational issue rather than an individual student weakness.5 • Unmanaged anxiety may interfere with safe clinical reasoning.1 • Clinical reasoning affects the safety of the nursing student, the patient, and the nursing practice.3,4 • Anxiety cannot be removed, but behaviors can be modified to be successful.1 Image 1 CONCLUSIONS • While moderate anxiety may enhance motivation, excessive anxiety impairs learning, increases cognitive overload, and contributes to academic burnout.1,3 REFERENCES • Nursing students report high levels of stress related to evaluation, fear of failure, and observation during skill pass-offs.2,4,6 1Reed, J. M. (2022). Simulation anxiety and its effect on clinical judgment for undergraduate nursing students. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 73, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2022.08.005 2 Walrath-Hollister, C. (2024). The lived experiences of nursing students coping with their mental, emotional, physical, and academic stress after practicing positive self-talk (Publication No. 31765086) [Doctoral dissertation, National University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/openview/f17862455d62814f6914c0b7d10ee9f6/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y 3Sarfika, R., Azzahra, W., Ananda, Y., & Saifudin, I. M. Y. (2025). Academic burnout among nursing students: The role of stress, depression, and anxiety within the Demand-Control Model. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.02.019 4 Lai, M. H., Tzeng, C. Y., Jen, H. J., & Chung, M. H. (2022). The influence of reducing clinical practicum anxiety on nursing professional employment in nursing students with low emotional stability. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8374. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148374 5Ginsburg, G. S., Pella, J. E., Ogle, R. R., DeVito, A., & Raguin, K. (2022). Teacher knowledge of anxiety and use of anxiety reduction strategies in the classroom. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 32(2), 174–184. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2021.26 6Kuchler, K., & Finestack, L. (2022). Student anxiety, acceptance, and experience using the Immediate Feedback–Assessment Technique®. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders, 6(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.30707/TLCSD6.1.1649037808.580584 Image 1: Branco, M. (2025). Anxiety pills with wooden text blocks on white [Photograph]. https://images.pexels.com/photos/31487213/pexelsphoto-31487213.jpeg Image 2: Singh, S. (2025). Medical Student Practicing on Training Manikin [Photograph]. https://images.pexels.com/photos/35645513/pexelsphoto-35645513.jpeg Melissa Johnston, BSN, RN, MSN Student Anne Kendrick, DNP, RN, CNE Elizabeth Fallentine, MSN, RN INTERVENTIONS • Faculty training in anxiety-reduction strategies can strengthen student resilience, enhance clinical reasoning, and support safer patient care.3,4 METHODS For Faculty to use With PN students • Stress has been identified as a primary contributor to burnout and reduced performance.2,4 • Coping skills instruction, psychologically safe learning environments, and growth-mindset teaching approaches can improve student well-being and performance.3, 6 Image 2