Correlation between Online Learner Readiness with Psychological Distress related to e-Learning among Nursing and Midwifery Students during COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: With the sudden shift of face-to-face education to e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness of learnerschr('39') readiness for online learning and its impact on studentschr('39') psychological distress related to e-learning is important for teachers, counselors, and educational planners. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the correlation between online learner readiness and psychological distress related to e-learning in nursing and midwifery students during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Methods: The present study was a descriptive -correlational study that was conducted on 194 undergraduate nursing and midwifery students of the Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch in the second semester of 2020-2021. The sampling method in this study was convenience sampling. Data were collected by demographic data form, Online Learner Readiness scale, and psychological distress related to e-learning questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS software version 22 and using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and coefficient Pearson correlation.  Results: Findings showed that the mean score of psychological distress related to e-learning was 65.34± 14.42 and 61.7 students had moderate psychological distress related to e-learning. Also, the mean score of readiness for online learning was 64.05 ±10.29 and 56.1% of students had moderate readiness for online learning. There was an inverse, moderate and significant correlation between the total score of readiness for online learning and the total score of psychological distress related to e-learning in students (r=-0.369, p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed that students who were less ready for online learning had more psychological distress related to e-learning. This finding highlights the need to empower students to online learning, screening for psychological disorders, and providing support and counseling resources to promote studentschr('39') mental health are emphasized.