Korean Nursing Students’ First Experiences of Clinical Practice in Psychiatric Nursing: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Nursing students have a more negative attitude toward psychiatric practice than other practices. In particular, Korean nursing students experience increased pressure during clinical practice in psychiatric nursing due to sociocultural and institutional influences, such as prejudices, fear, and anxiety towards mental illnesses. This study aimed to conduct an investigation on students’ first experiences of clinical practice in psychiatric nursing. Participants were 12 fourth year nursing students in South Korea. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and data analysis was done using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. The students’ experiences of clinical practice in psychiatric nursing could be categorized into emotional fluctuation, burnout, transformation, and growth. The results of this study show that nursing students experienced emotional fluctuation and burnout at the beginning of their clinical practice in psychiatric nursing. At the end of the clinical practice, they experienced transformation and growth. The study suggests that nursing instructors and on-site staff need to interact with nursing students to understand the nature of these first experiences and support them through teaching and field guidance.

Creating Effective Post-Pandemic Psychiatric Nursing Clinical Experiences Using the Roy Adaptation Model

“…Furthermore, these experiences decreased students’ anxiety, allowing for greater confidence in nursing abilities and understanding of mental health nursing. Similarly, Cha et al. (2020) reported with continued experience, student nurses grow from the clinical experience, breaking down preconceived notions of mental illness, eventually feeling comfortable caring for and developing rapport with psychiatric patients.…”

“…Research indicates that during mental health nursing clinicals, students initially experience barriers such as fear, anxiety, and distress. These may, in part, be due to a lack of experience, knowledge, understanding, and skills regarding mental health nursing, as well as preconceived notions regarding mental illness ( Brown, 2015 ; et al 2020 ; Happell, 1999 , 2008 ; Melrose & Shapiro, 1999 ). Psychiatric clinicals can be very emotional and may trigger a student's past trauma.…”

“…Nursing schools should be cognizant of the mental health needs if their students. Research suggests some students may experience psychiatric distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Reverté-Villarroya et al, 2020 ; Savitsky et al, 2020 ) and due to a lack of experience, knowledge, skills, and understanding of psychiatric nursing ( Brown, 2015 ; Cha et al 2020 ; Happell, 1999 , 2008 ; Melrose & Shapiro, 1999 ). The RAM provides a model to address the psychological needs of nursing students by encouraging schools to help mitigate psychological distress.…”

“…Psychiatric clinicals can be very emotional and may trigger a student's past trauma. Examining nursing students' initial clinical practice experiences in psychiatric nursing, Cha et al (2020) reported that these students first experienced emotional fluctuation and burnout, in part, related to inexperience and lack of sufficient skills to meet the needs of patients. Similarly, Melrose and Shapiro (1999) reported that nursing students felt anxiety in the clinical setting because these students did not know how best to work with patients.…”

Views of Nursing Students Who Have Experienced Caring for Psychiatric Patients on Mental Illness and Stigma: A Phenomenological Study

“…Other research studies also indicate that the students perceived individuals with mental disorders as less dangerous following the clinical practice [39,40]. In a qualitative study carried out in South Korea with nursing students, it was put forth that, in the context of psychiatric nursing, the students had emotional fluctuations and burnout at the beginning of the clinical practice whereas they experienced transformation and growth at the end of the clinical practice [41]. Also in some studies performed previously, it was found that the student nurses who took the psychiatric nursing course, spent time with the patients, or got in touch with standard patients through simulation method had a more positive attitude to the issue of stigmatization [29,[42][43][44][45].…”