Resilience as a Predictor of Satisfaction and Well-Being in Nursing Clinical Education: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Aims: Resilience is a protective factor that helps nursing students manage the challenges of clinical education. However, the relationships between resilience, clinical internship satisfaction, and psychological well-being remain underexplored. To examine the associations between resilience, satisfaction with clinical internships, and psychological well-being among undergraduate nursing students across academic years and campuses. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. A total of 302 undergraduate nursing students from four campuses of a northern Italian university completed three validated instruments: the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14), the Clinical Learning Quality Evaluation Index (CLEQI), and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Descriptive, correlational, and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: Resilience was positively associated with clinical learning satisfaction and inversely associated with psychological distress. Regression models confirmed resilience as a significant predictor of both clinical satisfaction (p < 0.01) and psychological well-being (p < 0.05), adjusting for age and gender. Conclusions: Resilience plays a crucial role in improving both educational satisfaction and psychological outcomes in nursing students. Integrating resilience-building strategies into nursing curricula could enhance learning experiences and well-being.