Psychodynamic sources of resistance among student nurses: some observations in a human relations context

Abstract

Psychodynamic sources of resistance among student nurses: some observations in a human relations context The nurse-patient relationship is considered to be a crucial part of the daily routine for many nurses; however, little evidence is available regarding how student nurses cope with learning human skills. Few researchers have considered how students engage with or resist the learning process. The aim of this study is to examine interpersonal matters and explore psychodynamic sources of resistance encountered among student nurses in an interpersonal skills context. A qualitative approach was adopted with a focus on individual case studies, using the in-depth interview as the major mode of data collection combined with observation. The four types of student that emerged from the data are emphasized, ranging from type 1 who were extremely reluctant to self-disclose, to type 4 who were more confident and free-flowing. The major characteristics pertaining to each type of student are outlined. While some characteristics seem to be related to childhood struggles and years of over-adaptation, others relate to factors that influence the learning climate. Particular attention is given to the psychological understanding of their predicament, including accounts of childhood and self-image. The implications for nurse education and limitations of this study are also considered.

Reflection in nurse education: promoting deeper thinking through the use of painting

“…When exploring the two paintings the students were able to recognise that they still held onto this belief in year two, but the constraints of practice also appears to be impacting on their beliefs. The emotional conflict, the personal versus the professional self, is a conflict that perhaps many student nurses encounter and as a consequence retreat to the safety of defence mechanisms, such as that of denial, appearing happy when you are actually feeling frightened or sad (Gilmartin, 2000;Menzies-Lyth, 1990).…”

Mirror, Mirror: Reflections on Developing the Emotionally Intelligent Practitioner

“…Mirrormirrorthe imagey ou reflect at timesisobscured Ican onlyassume it is me that is flawed Regardlesso fo rganisationalp olicy,e ducationalist practice and student learning, the ongoing theory-practice debate has borne testimony to how the student nurse cans trugglei n trying to addresst he differenceb etween what is taught in the universitya nd what is experienced in practice.T he result of such dichotomiesi st hat student nursesb ecome less inclined to question their teachersa nd, as they movet oq ualifiedn urse status,l oose all motivation to resistt he confining andd ebilitating habituso fp rofessionalp ractice (Scott 2003).I tw oulda ppear from the literaturet hat af urther dichotomy existsw ithr egardt ot he classroom being dominated by theoreticalk nowledge, with practicalk nowledge being the domaino fc linical practice (Feshwater &S tickley2 004).I ndeed Gilmartin( 2000Gilmartin( : 1540 warned of the changing emphasis beingo ne that focuses on 'a culturet hat values heady academica chievement, with ad ecreasei ne nthusiasm for the development of human skills.' Education that ignores the valuea nd development of such skills is onet hat does not promote the essenceo fn ursing ( Freshwater &S tickley2 004).P re-constituted theoretical knowledge canb em ade parto fo ur educational processb ut onlyw hen the contributing concepts aredeconstructed and transposed to the practice experience.…”

Cognitive Learning Theory

“…One study explored psychodynamic sources of resistance among nursing students and how they engaged with or resisted the learning process. A number of factors requiring consideration surfaced, including childhood struggles, a history of overadaptation, self-image, and learning climate (Gilmartin, 2000).…”