Learning about the experience of living with chronic conditions: A framework analysis of nursing students’ reflections on their conversations with older adults

Abstract

Preparing nursing students to work effectively with older adults is an important element of undergraduate nursing education. Reflective journals written as course assignments represent a source of data about students' learning. The aim of this study was to analyze nursing students' reflective journals based on conversations with older adults who are community dwelling, to identify learning in relation to experiences of living with a chronic condition. This was one element of a wider study to evaluate learning partnerships between older adults who are community dwelling and nursing students as an alternative to traditional clinical placements in long-term care settings. Nursing students worked with faculty to complete a qualitative secondary analysis of 47 journals utilizing framework analysis. Students learned about three main aspects of living with chronic conditions: beliefs about chronic conditions, managing chronic conditions, and experiencing chronic conditions, with some evidence that these themes may be interconnected. Findings suggest that learning partnerships with older adults combined with reflective journaling enable nursing students to understand the experience of chronic conditions in later life as reflected within current literature and to identify interventions for gerontological nursing practice. Enabling nursing students to recognize the highly skilled nature of working with older adults with chronic illness has the potential to influence their future career choices.