Final‐year undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of general practice nursing: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aim To explore final‐year nursing students’ perceptions of general practice nursing. Background The need for general practice nurses has increased due to growing demands for health care in the community. This demand is exacerbated by a shortage in the general practice nursing workforce. Understanding final‐year nursing students’ perceptions of general practice nursing is important as these may influence career choices. Design Qualitative descriptive study within a mixed methods project. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted with sixteen final‐year nursing students. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Reporting follows the COREQ checklist. Results Perceptions of general practice nursing varied between participants and related to three main themes; ways of working; a broad role to meet diverse health needs; and relationships with patients. General practice nurses were seen to have stable and collaborative working relationships, with their role ranging from supporting general practitioners to being autonomous professionals. The nurse's broad role was associated with diverse presentations and was considered interesting and challenging. Participants perceived that general practice nurses had more time to spend with patients, and this helped establish trust, and facilitated patient‐centred care. Conclusion Participants’ perceptions of general practice nursing varied, with some students recognising the diversity of the role and others perceiving it as limited. These views were often impacted by others experiences rather than personal experience. These variations underscore the need for students to receive greater exposure to general practice nursing. Review of undergraduate curricula to increase focus on preparing nursing students to work in general practice may help shape students’ interest to seek employment in this setting. Relevance to clinical practice Students perceptions of a clinical setting can influence their career decisions. Understanding these perceptions can inform clinicians and managers and highlight areas that may need to be addressed to promote career opportunities.

Beyond the Bedside

“…Students should be encouraged to engage in meaningful dialogue about their professional goals and pathways that promote belonging and empower them to formulate solutions instead of leaving the profession (Mulkey & Casey, 2023). The problem needs to be openly addressed from the beginning, when students first envision themselves in this lifelong career that is full of opportunity (Calma, Halcomb, et al, 2021). Well-structured and strategic exposure to a breadth of career pathways during nursing school and exploration of informed career choices throughout the curriculum can facilitate a sustainable workforce (Calma, Williams, et al, 2021).…”

Understanding nursing students' perceptions of the general practice environment and their priorities for employment settings

“…Finally, the quantitative method of data collection restricted the scope of responses. Follow‐up interviews sought to further explore survey findings (Calma et al, 2021a ; Calma et al, 2021b ).…”

“…Current evidence suggests that nursing students' perceptions of PHC settings are diverse. While some students perceive PHC nurses as having limited clinical skills and making little impact on health outcomes, others view the role of PHC nurse as having a unique level of professional autonomy that requires a high level of competence and skill (Calma et al, 2021a ; van Iersel et al, 2018b ).…”