Traditional face-to-face classes for nursing students due to the COVID (Coronavirus Disease)-19 pandemic around the world made it inevitable to operate education delivery method using remote/hybrid fashion. This study was aimed to validate the Korean version of the Student Stress Inventory-Stress Manifestations (SSI-SM) and assess the association between COVID-19 pandemic related stress level and self-directed learning ability competence in nursing students.

This research was a cross-sectional study design.

The study was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021, with a convenience sample of 172 nursing students in the 3rd and 4th grades in South Korea. The Korean version of SSI-SM(K-SSI-SM) was translated and adapted according to standard guideline, and tested construct validity and reliability. In addition, a multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the COVID-19 related stress level and the self-directed learning ability.

An exploratory analysis showed that K-SSI-SM composed of 13-item in three factors (uncertainty, non-sociability, and somatization) accounted for 68.73% of the total variance after it was modified. The internal consistency was good with 0.91. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that higher self-directed learning ability was associated with lower stress levels (β=-0.19, p=0.008), positive toward online learning (β=0.41, p=0.003) and scored higher in theory (β=0.30, p<0.001) in nursing students.

The K-SSI-SM is an acceptable instrument for assessing stress levels in Korean-nursing students. And nursing faculties need to pay attention to related factors of self-directed learning ability, in order to achieve the course's self-directed learning goal in students attending online classes.