Experiences of Nursing Students in Practicing Blood Transfusion

Abstract

It is important for healthcare professionals to have knowledge of blood transfusion. The purpose in this study is to determine the experiences of nursing students on blood transfusion and their opinions on the influencing factors. In this qualitative study, the sample of the study consisted of 12 second, third, and fourth-year nursing students who were continuing their education at a state university. In the study, data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews via a semi-structured interview form. In the study, the data were coded under two themes including nursing students’ experiences on blood transfusion (three sub-themes: level of theoretical knowledge about transfusion, fear of making mistakes, and inadequate practice) and the factors affecting these experiences (four sub-themes: factors related to patients’ relatives, factors related to patients, factors related to the practice and training related factors). As a result of the study, nursing students were observed to have different fears regarding blood transfusion, and it is thought that nursing educators and clinical support personnel would derive benefit from increasing their positive experiences on this practice.