Developing mature empathy among first-year students: The learning potential of emotional experiences

Nursing students’ ability to develop mature empathy requires emotional work, usually associated with caring experiences in relation with patients and next of kin. This article is based on qualitative in-depth interviews with 11 first-year students, and the research questions were: What characterizes situations in a nursing home that evoke strong emotional reactions in first-year students? What is the learning potential of these experiences? Findings show that facing emotionally challenging situations during their first clinical placement in nursing education aroused strong feelings and commitment among the students. The students tried, however, to find ways to handle emotionally challenging situations both with support in scientific literature, as well as from experience. Nurses were important role models, but could also exemplify characteristics of less empathic behaviour. Developing ‘mature empathy’ requires emotional work so that the students learn to adapt themselves to what will be demanded of them as professional nurses. The findings of this and other studies should alert nurses as well as teachers to the importance of helping students develop empathy as part of their learning trajectory in nursing education.

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The Effect of Social Contingencies on Nursing Students’ Reactions During a Rural Clinical Placement

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship ◽

10.1515/ijnes-2012-0027 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 81-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ron Kerr ◽

Brian C. Hemmings ◽

Russell Kay

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Professional Organization ◽

Clinical Placement ◽

First Year ◽

University Administrators ◽

First Year Students ◽

Social Contingencies ◽

Practicum Experiences

AbstractStudents’ feedback of their practicum experiences are typically documented only in terms of established nursing competencies and learning objectives. How nursing students cope with social contingencies (e.g., personal health) while away on clinical placement is not commonly reported in the literature. A sample of Australian student nurses was surveyed as a way of contributing new knowledge about what and how social contingencies could impact on a practicum experience. An analysis of the survey data provided by 244 students revealed that of the 14 contingencies used, financial pressure, accommodation, and geographic location, were rated as having the most influence. All of these social contingencies were examined by a principal components analysis. Three factors were identified and interpreted as professional organization, home organization, and personal organization. Three subscales were then derived using these factors and other measures were also calculated. Bivariate and multivariate relationships were subsequently determined. One key finding was that the first year students, compared to their more senior counterparts, expressed less stress during their practicum. The first year students, as opposed to their more experienced peers, also attached less importance to the professional organizational contingencies. The implications of the study for university administrators, nursing education faculty, and managers of clinical facilities conclude the paper.

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Nursing students’ learning experiences in clinical placements or simulation–A qualitative study

Journal of Nursing Education and Practice ◽

10.5430/jnep.v9n1p32 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kirsten Nielsen ◽

Annelise Norlyk ◽

Jette Henriksen

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Learning Style ◽

Learning Experiences ◽

Learning Trajectory ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Clinical Placements ◽

Nursing Experience ◽

Skills Lab

This paper reports on a qualitative study whose aim was to investigate nursing students' learning experiences in two arenas. It is common practice all first-year nursing students to practise in a skills lab. In this study, students practised in either clinical settings or a skills lab. In the design, a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used. The setting was Course 2, a ten-week course including either two weeks on clinical placements or two weeks in a skills lab. The participants were six first-year students. Data were generated by participant observations and interviews and were interpreted according to Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation. The findings indicated that students learned nursing skills in both arenas. However, on clinical placements, students and preceptors began nursing the patients after 20 minutes and students subsequently reflected on practice. In the skills lab, preceptors guided the students for up to an hour before they were ready to begin performing nursing. Students with previous nursing experience and activist learning style preferred to learn on clinical placements. Students with other learning styles – even one student with previous nursing experience – seemed to prefer learning in the lab, where they felt safe, as there was no risk of harm to patients. The conclusion was that, rather than all first-year students practising in the lab, it could be valuable to consider the students’ prior experience and preferred learning style in discussions of where to begin the learning trajectory in the nursing programme.

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Problem solving skills of the 1st year and 4th year nursing students

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72588-3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 883-883

Author(s):

Y. Sayin ◽

M. Farimaz

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Nuclear Family ◽

Personal Information ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Personal Control ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Problem Solving Skills

IntroductionOne of the objectives of nursing education is helping nursing students acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to deal with various problems.ObjectivesThe study is descriptive.AimsTo determine the “problem solving skills” of the 1st-year and 4th-year students.MethodsThe study is a descriptive one. The study sample comprised a total of 153 students in their 1st-year and 4th-year in Department of Nursing, Cumhuriyet University, Turkey. The research data were collected by means of the “Personal Information Form” developed in light of the relevant literature review and the “Problem Solving Inventory” which was developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) and tested in Turkey in 1990 by Taylan in terms of fist validity-reliability properties.ResultsOf the first year students, 84.9% lived in a nuclear family, 61.6% lived in a city, 39.5% were first-born children. Of the fourth year students, 81.0% lived in a nuclear family, 67.2% lived in a city, 37.3% were first-born children. All of the students financial needs were met by their parents. There was no difference between the total “problem solving confidence” scores of the first year students (85.942 ± 16.649) and the fourth year students (81.866 ± 19.168) (p > 0.05). According to the sub-scales of the inventory, the first year students received higher scores than the fourth year students in “problem solving confidence”, “approach-avoidance behavior” and “personal control” (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe education received by the students did not make a difference in the development of their problem solving skills.

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Effects of Nursing Education on the Image of Nursing as a Profession in Israel

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship ◽

10.2202/1548-923x.1942 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Merav Ben Natan

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Nurse Educators ◽

Nursing Profession ◽

Public Image ◽

First Year ◽

Negative Stereotypes ◽

First Year Students ◽

Positive Image ◽

Advanced Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of nursing students in Israel regarding nursing as a profession and nurses public image, and whether there is a difference between the perceptions of first-year and more advanced nursing students. A questionnaire based on the work of Tzeng (2006) was administered to 200 first-year nursing students and 200 more advanced students. Most of the students felt the nursing profession needs to undergo an image change, while first-year students perceived nurses as more angelic and romantic than more advanced students. A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with nurses in the field and the image of nursing. In order to reinforce a positive image of nursing as a career, nurse educators should alter negative stereotypes about the profession.

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Nursing students’ attitudes towards ICT in education and clinic in Denmark

Seminar.net ◽

10.7577/seminar.2361 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Raymond Kolbæk

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Focus Group ◽

First Year ◽

Learning Context ◽

First Year Students ◽

Methodical Approach ◽

E Learning ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Group Interviews

It is well known that in an era of emerging use of ICT in nursing education and health care it is important to have knowledge of the attitudes towards ICT within the profession. However, nursing students and nurses have been notoriously reluctant to embrace/implement ICT in their work and studies.This paper focuses on the construction of ICT-habitus amongst bachelor nursing students displayed by four positions of attitudes that describe the ICT-habitus of the group of nursing students included [under consideration] in the study. Quotes from the students are used to support and illustrate the findings. The methodical approach was based on Pierre Bourdieu’s multi-faceted data collection approach and Steiner Kvale’s technical guidelines for interviewing were used for conducting focus group interviews.In order to carry out the construction a mapping of ICT implementation in the Danish primary and secondary education and nursing education from 1970 – 2001 was undertaken. A questionnaire concerning attitudes towards ICT in Healthcare was conducted amongst first year students and focus group interviews were completed. A bibliography and other sources has been included. These datasets made it possible to construct the field of ICT in nursing education and +to construct nursing students' ICT habitus and ICT capital, which was were categorized in four descriptive positions, called "The endorser", "The sceptic", "The adversary" and "The critical".These positions can be used for developing strategies for implementing ICT and development of e-learning in educational and clinical settings for nursing students, thereby contributing with new knowledge and understanding of the ICT-based learning context and the processes within.

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Nursing students’ experience with clinical placement in nursing homes: a focus group study

BMC Nursing ◽

10.1186/s12912-021-00690-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kristin Laugaland ◽

Kari Kaldestad ◽

Elin Espeland ◽

Brendan McCormack ◽

Kristin Akerjordet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Focus Group ◽

Role Models ◽

Clinical Placement ◽

First Year ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Focus Group Study ◽

First Year Students ◽

Healthcare Needs

Abstract Background A renewed interest in nursing homes as clinical placement settings for nursing students has been prompted by the growing healthcare needs of an ageing population. However, if future nurses are to be enthusiastic about working in this healthcare context, it is essential that higher education institutions that educate nurses and nursing homes that provide placement experiences to students do so with a supportive, positive, and enriched approach. Methods To explore first-year nursing students’ placement experience in nursing homes, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study in three city-based nursing homes in western Norway. Thirteen first-year nursing students participated in the study. Three focus group interviews were conducted to explore the students’ placement experiences. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings were reported using the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). Results The analysis describes five themes relating to first-year students’ placement experience in nursing homes; (1) variations in utility of pre-placement orientation and welcome at placement site; (2) a challenging learning environment; (3) spending considerable placement time with non-registered nurses; (4) considerable variability in supervision practices; and (5) a vulnerable and demanding student role. Conclusions The research provides insight into the contextual characteristics encountered by first-year students that influence the quality of their placement experiences. Consequently, these characteristics impede access to important role models who lend support to a student’s growth and professional development, preventing full utilisation of the learning potential offered in nursing homes. Hence, we propose that targeted efforts are warranted to foster positive placement experiences and enhance students’ clinical education in nursing homes.

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The relationship between empathy and altruistic motivations in nursing studies: a multi-method study

BMC Nursing ◽

10.1186/s12912-021-00620-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Linda Messineo ◽

Luciano Seta ◽

Mario Allegra

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Linear Models ◽

Principal Component ◽

Motivational Factors ◽

Care Process ◽

First Year ◽

Young Males ◽

Young Females

Abstract Background The efficient management of relational competences in healthcare professionals is crucial to ensuring that a patient’s treatment and care process is conducted positively. Empathy is a major component of the relational skills expected of health professionals. Knowledge of undergraduate healthcare students’ empathic abilities is important for educators in designing specific and efficient educational programmes aimed at supporting or enhancing such competences. In this study, we measured first-year undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes towards professional empathy in clinical encounters. The students’ motivations for entering nursing education were also evaluated. This study takes a multi-method approach based on the use of qualitative and quantitative tools to examine the association between students’ positive attitudes towards the value of empathy in health professionals and their prosocial and altruistic motivations in choosing to engage in nursing studies. Methods A multi-method study was performed with 77 first-year nursing students. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) – Health Professions Student Version was administered. Students’ motivations for choosing nursing studies were detected through an open question and thematically analysed. Using explorative factor analysis and principal component analysis, a dimensional reduction was conducted to identify subjects with prosocial and altruistic motivations. Finally, linear models were tested to examine specific associations between motivation and empathy. Results Seven distinct themes distinguishing internal and external motivational factors were identified through a thematic analysis of students’ answers regarding their decision to enter a nursing degree course. Female students gained higher scores on the empathy scale than male ones. When students’ age was considered, this difference was only observed for younger students, with young females’ total scores being higher than young males'. High empathy scores were positively associated with altruistic motivational factors. A negative correlation was found between external motivational factors and the scores of the Compassionate Care subscale of the JSE. Conclusions Knowing the level of nursing students’ empathy and their motivational factors for entering nursing studies is important for educators to implement training paths that enhance students’ relational attitudes and skills and promote the positive motivational aspects that are central to this profession.

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Nursing student and faculty attitudes about a potential genomics-informed undergraduate curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship ◽

10.1515/ijnes-2020-0109 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Dewell ◽

Carla Ginn ◽

Karen Benzies ◽

Cydnee Seneviratne

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Curriculum Development ◽

Role Models ◽

Nursing Student ◽

Undergraduate Curriculum ◽

Future Research ◽

Curriculum Innovation ◽

Or Education ◽

Undergraduate Nursing

Abstract Objectives To explore attitudes about adding genomic content to an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Genomic knowledge is essential to nursing education, but challenges exist for curriculum innovation. Few countries have guiding documents from national nursing organizations on genomic competencies for practice or education. Information on attitudes about genomics may provide guidance for curriculum development. Methods Nineteen undergraduate nursing students and two faculty from a school of nursing with two sites in western Canada participated. Five focus groups and four interviews were conducted using a semi-structured focus group guide. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Coding was inductive. Results Characteristics of participants, eight key themes, and four future focal areas were identified to guide future research and curriculum development. Conclusions Global development of genomics-informed curricula will require a focus on increasing knowledge, defining scope and role, increasing visibility of role models, and preparing to implement precision health.

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e-Learning readiness amongst nursing students at the Durban University of Technology

Health SA Gesondheid ◽

10.4102/hsag.v22i0.1059 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. 300-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marilynne Coopasami ◽

Stephen Knight ◽

Mari Pete

Keyword(s):

Nursing Education ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Traditional Learning ◽

First Year ◽

Technological Readiness ◽

Technological Culture ◽

University Of Technology ◽

Before And After ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

E Learning

e-Learning and other innovative open learning multimedia modalities of delivering education are being introduced to enhance learning opportunities and facilitate student access to and success in education. This article reports on a study that assessed students' readiness to make the shift from traditional learning to the technological culture of e-Learning at a university in Durban. A quasi-experimental study design was employed to assess such readiness in first year nursing students before and after an appropriate educational intervention. A modified Chapnick Readiness Score was used to measure their psychological, equipment and technological readiness for the change in learning method. It was found that, while students' psychological readiness for e-Learning was high, they lacked technological and equipment readiness. Although e-Learning could be used in nursing education, technological and equipment readiness require attention before it can be implemented effectively in this institution. Fortunately, these technical aspects are easier to resolve than improving psychological readiness.

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Attributes of a good nurse

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/0969733015595543 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 238-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rahime Aydin Er ◽

Mine Sehiralti ◽

Aslihan Akpinar

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Professional Education ◽

Role Models ◽

Professional Competence ◽

Nursing Program ◽

First Year ◽

Training Methods ◽

Survey Form ◽

Good Nurse ◽

Material Values

Background: The opinions of students regarding the attributes of a good nurse can make a major contribution to the planning and the conducting of professional education. There are few studies which aim at identifying the qualifications of a good nurse from the perspectives of nursing students. Objectives: To determine the opinions of first- and fourth-year nursing students concerning the ‘attributes of a good nurse’, and whether and how their views change depending on their year of study. Research design: Descriptive research. Participants and research context: This study was conducted in the nursing department of a vocational school of health in the 2010/2011 academic year. The study participants consisted of first-year and intern students. A survey form was used to identify characteristics of participants, and students were asked the following open-ended question about their opinions related to the attributes of a good nurse. Ethical considerations: The permission was taken from the school administration. Informed consent was obtained, and anonymity was ensured for participating students. Findings: A total of 120 students participated in this study. Most frequently expressed attributes were ‘professional competence’ in first-year and ‘responsibility’ in fourth-year students. While first-year students placed a greater emphasis on the attributes of ‘geniality’, ‘patience’, ‘calmness’, ‘love of nursing’, ‘loyalty to nursing’ and ‘not attaching importance to material values’, fourth-year students emphasized the attributes of ‘empathy’, ‘honesty’, ‘responsibility’ and ‘scientific curiosity’ significantly more. Discussion and conclusion: Fourth-year students placed a greater emphasis on the attributes which the students are expected to acquire through a nursing program and clinical experience. However, they mentioned the attributes related to a good nurse–patient relationship and communication significantly less. Appropriate ethical training methods and good role models can help students acquire attributes that are important for the nursing profession and combine them with the attributes they already have.

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