Abstract
BACKGROUND: The first clinical experience in a hospital setting can be highly stressful for nursing students, often leading to significant anxiety. Addressing this issue requires effective interventions to help students transition smoothly into their clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational tour on preclinical anxiety among first-year nursing students. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2024 in Tehran. A total of 72 s-semester nursing students were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to either the control group (n = 37) or the intervention group (n = 35). Before the start of clinical training, the intervention group participated in an educational tour of the hospital, conducted by the researcher, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) one week before the clinical training and after its completion. RESULTS: After completing the clinical training, the mean trait anxiety score was 34.28 ± 7.89 in the control group and 31.30 ± 6.70 in the intervention group. However, an independent t-test revealed that the difference in post-intervention trait anxiety scores between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.089). In contrast, the mean state anxiety score after the intervention was 36.14 ± 7.38 in the control group and 31.21 ± 6.86 in the intervention group, demonstrating a significant reduction in anxiety levels among students who participated in the educational tour (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that an educational tour can effectively reduce preclinical anxiety among first-year nursing students, making it a valuable strategy for improving their transition into hospital-based clinical training.