Analysis of anxiety levels and perceived satisfaction after a first encounter with human body prosection among nursing undergraduates based on their self-perceived presession nervousness: An observational study.

Human body prosection practices are a crucial educational tool for learning anatomy. However, the first exposure to donors' material can cause anxiety, which may affect students' learning experiences and emotional adjustment. This observational study aimed to analyze anxiety levels (state and trait) before and after a prosection session in first-year nursing undergraduates, as well as perceived satisfaction, considering their previously perceived subjective level of nervousness. A total of 231 students participated voluntarily. Participants were grouped according to their self-perceived nervousness (low vs. high). Anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before and after the activity, along with postactivity satisfaction questionnaires. The results showed a significant decrease in both state and trait anxiety after the session (p < 0.0001), particularly among students who reported higher initial nervousness. Satisfaction with the activity was high in both groups, with no significant differences. Interestingly, higher presession nervousness was not associated with lower satisfaction. Correlation analyses revealed that higher anxiety was moderately associated with lower satisfaction only in the low-nervousness group. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the most stressful aspect of prosection is the uncertainty about what students will encounter. After the session itself, anxiety levels decrease significantly. Therefore, future studies should explore interventions that help students become familiar with the dissection process before the practical session.