A Study of the Clinical Experience of Nursing Students

간호학생의 임상실습경험

Nursing students have identified the clinical experience as one of the hardest and most anxiety producing components of their nursing program. Nurse educators play a critical role in assisting students to apply their knowledge skillfully in the clinical area. In order to help students through their clinical experience, faculty must first understand more fully the meaning of this experience for nursing students. A phenomenological study was conducted to explore the actual reality of the nursing students' clinical experience. The research was done through indepth interviews. Fifteen Pusan senior nursing students who had completed their clinical practice described their experiences. The data were collected during the period from October 1994 to January 1995. The data were analyzed by Colaizzi's method of phenomenological analysis. Six theme clusters emerged : the experience of emotional difficulties ; the experince of physical diffuculties ; the perception of deficiencies of knowledge and skill ; the disappointments and regrets perceived during the experience ; the awareness of various sources of joy and gratitude ; the experience of personal growth. The results of this study enable us to understand nursing students better. Also through these results, we should be better placed to help nursing students during their clinical experience and to help their gain more from this experience.