Clinical Practicum Experiences of the Nursing Students´ in Psychiatric Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students´ experiences of clinical practicum in psychiatric settings. Total 6 senior students who were in baccalaureate nursing program were participated in this study who completed 6-week psychiatric practicum. The study was performed from October, 1998 to December, 1999. Individual In-depth interviews were used as a data collection method. The data were analyzed by content analysis using Strauss-Corbin´s method. Nineteen concepts were identified in the analysis. In this study, it was found that they had different experiences before, during, and after the clinical practicum. Before the clinical practicum, it was found they had expectation about psychiatry, curiosity to psychiatric patients, and fears about relationship. During the clinical practicum, they had differentexperiences by focusing on psychiatric nursing. patients, self, nurses, other medical members. And then, finishing the clinical practicum. they could accept the psychiatric patients as the person and solve the fears about psychiatric patients. The findings of this study may assist nursing educators to understand their students" experiences and will provide nursing educators and students with framework for the direction in their clinical practicum.