An Examination of a Student’s Academic GRIT and Mental Wellness Throughout the Advancement of a Health Care Based Program

Abstract

Background:

Mental burnout is often a concern as health care student’s progress in their respective academic programs. A healthy balance between a student’s ability to persevere through academic struggles and the student’s mental wellness must exist. The purpose of this research is to examine changes in a student’s mental wellness and grit and determination as they progress forward within health care based academic programs.

Methods:

The presented research was granted IRB exemption (IRB #8440) from the Institutional Review Board at Texas State University. The research was conducted within the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. The GRIT scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Scale were used to identify a student’s academic GRIT and mental wellness as they were admitted and began their respective healthcare-based program. Four departments, The Department of Respiratory Care, The Department of Health Information Management, The Department of Radiation Therapy, and The St. David’s School of Nursing all surveyed newly admitted health care students. Pre and post surveys were administered within the first week of the start of the semester and on the final day of class prior to final examinations.

Results:

Pre and post averages reported changes in both the GRIT scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Scale. The GRIT scale reported an initial GRIT average score of 3.576 (N = 158) and a post GRIT average of 3.512 (N = 118). Similarly, pre and post results of the Warwick-Edinburgh scale reported statistically significant decrease (P<.05) in mental wellness at the end of the first semester.

Conclusions:

Results of the research did indicate changes in both academic GRIT and determination and mental wellness in the student’s examined. Further research is being conducted to better identify why the changes in GRIT and mental-wellness occurred and if additional changes occur as the student’s progress in their respective academic programs.