Nursing students’ clinical placement experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Aim This study explored the clinical placement experiences of nursing students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Background The health emergency caused by Covid-19 required a rapid reorganisation of care settings. This reorganisation entailed revisiting the clinical placements settings and learning programs of Italian nursing faculties. Some Italian universities wanted to seize the health emergency as a learning opportunity enabling the nursing student to acquire additional knowledge and skills. Design We conducted a descriptive qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach. The study population was second and third-year nursing students. The students did their clinical placement in 5 Northern Italy hospitals, mainly in infectious diseases wards, intensive care and sub-intensive care units, emergency department, short-stay surgical units and internal medicine wards. In these departments, the inpatient wards were entirely converted into Covid-19 units. Ethical approval was obtained from the local ethics committee. Methods Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted in March-April 2021 and analysed following a phenomenological approach. Results Twenty-one nursing students in their 2 nd and 3 rd academic year participated. Their average age was 24 years. 81% were female and 19% were male. Three main themes were generated: (i) Learning which surpasses technicalities; (ii) Confronting dignity issues; (iii) Feeling treated as an equal in the workspace. Students had to learn how to lower their fear and self-manage the emotional burden to be a caring presence for the patients who were intensely suffering from the disease and isolation. Attending a clinical practice placement in Covid-19 wards led them to focus on human dignity issues: participants realised how dignity was questioned and how they could become patients’ advocates. Students also described that they felt part of the team, with their student role almost fading. Conclusions This study describes that the most unpredictable public health emergency, such as Covid-19, can provide learning opportunities in the practice environment for nursing students. Students described feeling useful and capitalising on new competencies. Designing educational activities for nursing students concerning pandemic emergencies may be strategic for dealing with similar situations in the future.

Student nurse experiences in public healthcare clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

“…This study showed that nursing students can learn efficiently and prepare for future work through on-the-job training at public health centers. This is expected to help these students improve their adaptability and transition into future roles as nurses ( Barisone et al, 2022 ).…”

“…This study showed that nursing students felt a sense of responsibility and pride in their supporting role in the National Health System response to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Casafont et al, 2021 ). Barisone et al (2022) have shown that nursing students wore the same uniform as nurses during the COVID-19 practice period. This meant that they were perceived as nurses by patients, which enhanced their sense of responsibility.…”

“…This meant that they were perceived as nurses by patients, which enhanced their sense of responsibility. Moreover, the nursing students gained confidence in their nursing job ( Barisone et al, 2022 ).…”

Clinical Field and Alternative Clinical Practice Experience in a Pandemic Situation of Nursing Students Who Have Experienced Clinical Practice before COVID-19

“…To this end, a systematic discussion about the problems, limitations, and effects of clinical practice and alternative clinical practices should be had before returning clinical practices to pre-COVID-19 pandemic clinical practices. The phenomenological method [ 13 ] to identify and analyze the research phenomenon is suitable for minimizing researchers’ prejudice and confirming the essence of clinical field practice and alternative clinical practices in a pandemic.…”

“…Publications on domestic and foreign qualitative research methods related to the clinical practice of nursing students in the current COVID-19 situation were published on clinical field practice experience [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], online clinical practice experience [ 4 , 17 , 18 ], virtual reality-based simulation clinical practice experience in one subject [ 6 ], online clinical practice and in-school clinical practice experience [ 19 ]. Clinical practice experience in clinical field practice or alternative clinical practices was limited in each partial aspect.…”