Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BMC Nursing, cilt.24, sa.1, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
Background: Clinical practice environments are a major source of anxiety and stress, especially for nursing students who are experiencing their first clinical experience. Peer Mentoring reduces the stress associated with early clinical experiences and helps students overcome challenges by developing a sense of belonging and participation. Aim: The study aimed to assess the impact of peer support, delivered through a mobile orientation application, on nursing students’ clinical stress and sense of belonging during their clinical practice. Method: The study was an experimental study with a control group and was conducted with a total of 89 s-year nursing students (43 experimental and 46 control) who were interning at a university hospital in Trabzon. Data were collected in October-December 2022 using the student information form, the student opinion form, the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students, and the Perceived Insider Status Scale as pre-test and post-test. In the study, the HEMMEN mobile application was utilized for the experimental group, while the control group followed the routine method. Result: There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups regarding the stress and belonging levels they perceived before the internship (p > 0.05). The post-test scores of the experimental group regarding the stress levels perceived after the internship were statistically higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The belonging levels perceived after the internship were evaluated, and no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p > 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group reported satisfaction with the HEMMEN application, stating that it was easy to use, facilitated relationships in the clinic and that the peer counselors were understanding, supportive, and provided helpful feedback. Conclusion: The HEMMEN application effectively reduced the stress levels of nursing students and served as a valuable tool in enhancing their clinical experiences. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.