OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the relationships between students' competencies achievement (SCA), student engagement, basic needs fulfillment, and stress levels among nursing students engaging in community-based clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN: and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 451 nursing students from Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. Online questionnaires assessing SCA, SE, BNF, and SL were administered between November and December 2021.

RESULTS: The study involved 131 participants from Indonesia, 138 from Malaysia, and 182 from India, with an average age of 22.52. Multivariate analysis, employing linear regression revealed that across the three countries, online student engagement demonstrated the strongest association with SCA (B: 0.701; p-value: 0.0001). However, specific factors-stress levels, learning methods, and study year-showed greater relevance in Indonesia, India, and Malaysia, respectively.