“Compassion is the mainstay of nursing care”: A qualitative study on the perception of care and compassion in senior nursing students

Abstract

To describe nursing students' perceptions of care and compassion in the context of the clinical environment. Design and Methods: This phenomenological study data were collected by focus groups and Giorgi et al. stages used in the data analysis.Findings: Sixteen students participated in this study. Four themes and 12 subthemes were determined. The themes were "Discovering the existence of care and facing up to care", "advancing on the road to becoming a nurse: from theory to practice," "compassionate care, beyond medical care," and "the effect of nursing education on professional compassion."Practice Implications: This study showed that nursing students grew by giving care and knowledge. In addition, compassionate care is gained by real-life stories and a supportive environment.