An application of the caritative caring approach – nursing students’ experiences of practising caring and uncaring encounters by simulation at a clinical training centre

Abstract

Purpose Nurses’ lack of competence to be caring affects patients’ health and patients describe a desire for more individual and compassionate care. Nursing education tends, however, to focus less on the caring approach in nursing practice and more on developing knowledge in psychomotor skills. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students’ experiences of simulating caring and uncaring encounters founded on the caritative perspective at a Clinical Training Centre (CTC). Method A qualitative, inductive approach using a qualitative latent content analysis. Written reflections of 49 students were analysed. Findings By intertwining reflection with acting and observation, the students experienced that they achieved an open mind and gained an understanding of how important it was to treat the patient based on a caring approach. To act, first uncaring and thereafter caring, gave them an awakening. The students were touched and an overwhelming feeling of suddenly understanding human uniqueness and vulnerability appeared. Conclusions To simulate caritative caring and uncaring encounters at the CTC enhanced students’ knowledge and understanding about caring and strengthened their prerequisites to acquire a caritative ontological basic view and attitude which in the long run may lead to an increased feeling of patient well-being in the encounter.

Undergraduate nursing student's attitudes to learning during clinical practice in different semesters when using a conceptual learning model grounded in a caritative caring perspective – A cross‐sectional study

“…Awareness of this is seen to be important in nursing education when supporting the students to become competent and compassionate when caring and in our study, the intrapersonal concept in MILO involving supervision grounded in nursing, emphasising the patient as a whole and a caring approach, that is, values of caritative caring was viewed as being of major importance for learning by the students in all semesters. These results, in line with the findings from previous studies [38‐43], highlight the importance of discussing and approaching ethical values in relation to students' learning during clinical practice. An ethical culture involves the whole organisation where everyone in the team wants to do their best for the patient [44].…”

“…The ethical basic motive for being a role model in education includes a humanistic view together with a willingness to be an educator. In the context of simulation involving caritative caring, Knutsson et al [39] highlight that a bearing of caritas in the teacher is critical if the students are to appropriate a caritative caring approach. Features of a caritative preceptor and leadership in education include encouragement of a culture of love, trust and forgiveness and the support of Bildung [21], the mission of education, brought into praxis [40],…”

The urge for a caritative caring science in a wider perspective

“…Then a reflection that has a caring science emphasis is held and thereafter scenario two is played where the same nursing student now listens to the patient. The nursing student who plays the nurse gets to feel the difference in how it feels when you don't listen to someone and when you listen, and the nursing student who plays patient gets to feel how it feels to not be listened to and to be listened to [33]. The challenge is to educate students to reach understanding about ethos – caritas and to be a bearer of an arete.…”

Nursing students perspectives of psychosocial care: cross-sectional study

“…The objective is to teach nursing students how to provide medical care to licensed nurses [ 7 ]. Medical and nursing students experience emotional and practical implications of their care [ 16 , 23 , 24 ]. Nursing students must have emotional maturity, sensitivity, dedication, skills, self-assurance, and a sense of duty to their patients [ 16 ].…”

“…Similarly to what is expected of professional medical and nursing students, they should demonstrate good communication, patience, courage, and supportive attributes in terms of practical skills [ 10 ]. Nursing students participate in their educational journey both in the classroom and in real world settings, as these encounters are crucial to their intellectual development and professional advancement [ 24 ].…”