{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T12:01:36Z","timestamp":1785240096345,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783987200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":13,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Nursing Open"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to examine the level of test anxiety among nursing students in Saudi Arabia and to identify the coping strategies they use when facing pre\u2010exam anxiety and uncertainty.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross\u2010sectional design was employed. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in regular and bridging programmes at a Saudi nursing college using a self\u2010administered questionnaire. Test anxiety was assessed using the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS), and coping strategies were measured using the Coping with Pre\u2010Exam Anxiety and Uncertainty (COPEAU) scale. Descriptive statistics and independent\u2010samples t\u2010tests were conducted to examine anxiety levels, coping patterns and differences between the regular and bridging programmes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 199 nursing students participated in the study. Overall, students demonstrated a moderate level of test anxiety, with cognitive worry, memory concerns and post\u2010exam performance anxiety emerging as the most prominent symptoms. Regarding coping strategies, students predominantly relied on task\u2010oriented and preparation\u2010focused approaches, reflecting strong engagement in planning, organisation and focused effort towards examinations. Seeking social support was also commonly utilised, indicating the importance of emotional and informational resources in managing exam\u2010related stress. In contrast, avoidance strategies were less strongly endorsed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Nursing students in Saudi Arabia experience moderate test anxiety but predominantly adopt adaptive coping strategies, particularly task\u2010oriented preparation and social support. These findings highlight the protective role of constructive coping behaviours in managing academic stress. Integrating structured exam preparation training, stress management programmes and accessible support services within nursing curricula is recommended to reduce cognitive worry and enhance students' academic resilience and psychological well\u2010being.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Implications for Nursing Practice<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These study findings can directly inform nursing education and student support. Embedding structured exam\u2010preparation and test\u2010taking skills, evidence\u2010based stress\u2010management and relaxation training and routine screening for elevated test anxiety within the curriculum may help reduce cognitive worry and memory\u2010related concerns. Peer\u2010support services, accessible counselling and academic advising, can reinforce the adaptive, task\u2010oriented and social\u2010support coping that students already favour and strengthen their academic resilience and psychological well\u2010being.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Patient or Public Contribution<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>No patient or public contribution.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/nop2.70695","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T18:49:17Z","timestamp":1784054957000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Test Anxiety and Coping Strategies Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross\u2010Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Maria Elena","family":"Mariano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences  Dhahran Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nada","family":"Alatawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postnatal Unit King Salman Armed Forces Hospital  Tabuk Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wejdan","family":"Albalawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postnatal Unit King Salman Armed Forces Hospital  Tabuk Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Afnan","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Prince Mansour Military Hospital  Taif Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ghada","family":"Alatawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postnatal Unit King Salman Armed Forces Hospital  Tabuk Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aryam","family":"Altmimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Armed Forces Hospital, King Abdul Aziz Naval Base  Jubail Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danah","family":"Alshatb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postnatal Unit Prince Sultan Military Medical City  Riyadh Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9631-8870","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bushra","family":"Alshammari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing University of Hail  Hail Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nabat","family":"Almalki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences  Dhahran Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-1255-0249","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mawahib","family":"Almalki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences  Dhahran Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery Queen's University Belfast  Belfast UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","first-page":"271","article-title":"Motivation, Anxiety and Students' Performance","volume":"9","author":"Ahmetovic E.","year":"2020","journal-title":"European Journal of Contemporary Education"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1271536"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm12111887"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","article-title":"Evaluation of Social Support and Stress in Nursing Students","volume":"52","author":"Almeida L. 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