Nursing Students' Perceptions of Job Adaptation: A qualitative Study

Abstract

Aims The objective of this study was to explore the perspectives of nursing students on clinical job adaptation to identify and understand their professional development needs. Background The process of job adaptation is a major challenge for nursing students. While clinical experience can stimulate their work stamina, they may also lose confidence in solving problems and overcoming obstacles in the workplace. Although they have received relevant training from the hospital, it is still worth exploring how to enhance job adaptation and make significant progress in their profession. Design: A qualitative research design was used. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from February to May 2022 to understand their views on job adaptation. The manuscript was transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo12.0plus software for encoding analysis and topic extraction. All methods were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration and Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). Results This study extracted two themes regarding job adaptation for nursing students (a) personality difference, psychological distress, and competence are internal requirements for job adaptation; (b) the departmental atmosphere, interpersonal relationships, and management style are external manifestations of job adaptation. Conclusions In the absence of effective strategies and under great pressure, nursing students can easily switch careers. Admittedly, job adaptation is an indicator for assessing career development. This study discusses factors affecting job adaptation from an individual and environmental perspective. Based on this, nursing students should actively seek feedback to improve their coping and clinical communication skills. Managers should focus on coaching nursing students to face changes in the work environment. Additionally, clinical instructors should serve as role models and provide support to nursing students.