Predictors of Distance Learning Acceptance Among Undergraduate Nursing Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

This study aimed to investigate the factors that predict the acceptance of distance learning among undergraduate nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine Please check if the Citation part is missingthe implications of these findings for nursing education in the post-pandemic era. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Greece with a convenience sample of undergraduate nursing students from the Hellenic Mediterranean University and the University of Patras. Data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 using an online questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 21.0. A total of 378 undergraduate nursing students (mean age: 22 years) participated in this study. The regression model predicting students’ attitudes toward distance learning (ATel) was statistically significant and explained 18.3% of the variance in ATel scores (R2 = 0.183, adjusted R2 = 0.158). Among the psychological and experiential factors, future career concerns (β = 0.237, p < 0.001), emotional distress related to social isolation (β = 0.186, p = 0.001), and perceived difficulties in group work (β = 0.140, p = 0.013) were revealed as significant predictors of the students’ attitudes toward distance learning. In contrast, digital readiness, flexibility, and perceived effectiveness of distance learning were not revealed as statistically significant predictors in the multivariate model but were positively associated with students’ attitudes. Demographic characteristics were not identified as statistically significant predictors of ATel scores. Psychosocial factors were significantly associated with nursing undergraduate students’ attitudes toward distance learning, underscoring the importance of incorporating blended learning in higher education in the post-pandemic era to secure group interaction, effective collaboration, and students’ well-being.