The Clinical Learning Experiences of Nursing Students Caring for Elderly Schizophrenia Inpatients

Abstract

Aims: Young nursing students who are engaged in psychiatric nursing practice for the first time have many difficulties. In order to help students learn how to care for elderly patients with mental illness, this study explored student perceptions, evaluated clinical learning experiences using qualitative research methods, and assessed the experiences of student nurses in caring for elderly patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.Methods: The data presented in this study were derived from an qualitative study based on a phenomenological approach. The 20 participants were selected from the students of a nursing college in Taiwan. Individual in-depth interviews were held with nursing students, these students were selected from the fourth-years of nursing college of associate degree. The mean age of all of the participants were 18.7(±0.46).Results: Colaizzi's analysis method was used to analyze the data. Six main themes were obtained: (1) Assessing clinical problems associated with psychiatric disorders and geriatric diseases; (2) Preparing for and engaging with the clinical internship environment; (3) Establishing relationships with elderly patients; (4) Participating in clinical learning and applying nursing knowledge and skills; (5) Shaping a good attitude towards elderly schizophrenia patients; (6) Gaining confidence in the internship process.Conclusions: Although nursing students lack clinical knowledge and situational experience in geriatric psychiatric nursing, nursing teachers need to help students be more perceptive and evaluate their clinical learning experiences, and to express themselves and reflect on the process of care delivery to hospitalized elderly patients with schizophrenia.

Developing an assessment tool for geropsychiatric mental healthcare knowledge and attitude evaluations in clinical practice for nursing students

“…Based on the literature review, the general public's attitude towards mental patients is more negative. Medical staff and nursing students who have contact with mental patients are more likely to be positive, nursing students, that especially influenced by internship practice, are with positive tendency (Lauber et al., 2000; Vezzoli et al., 2001; Wu et al., 2019). Kuo et al (2014) stated that it is more unlikely for young people to accept mental patients behaviour which is consistent with study results from home and abroad (Fung et al., 2007; Han & Chen, 2008; Kobau et al., 2010; Verhaeghe & Bracke, 2008).…”

“…Based on this research reference literature, the results of researchers' previous qualitative study (Wu et al., 2019), moreover, and a research team (including experts in clinical psychiatric nursing, psychiatrists and faculty of psychiatric and mental health nursing) were invited to jointly draft the geropsychiatric psychological symptoms and health problem nursing knowledge scale (GPN‐K) and geropsychiatric psychological symptoms and health problem nursing attitude scale (GPN‐A).…”

“…The stigma of mental illness often hinders the patient from accepting early treatment and compiling medical advice (Kobau et al., 2010; Leicester, 2007). Nursing staff's attitude towards psychiatric patients will also affect their way of caring patients and the rehabilitation (Chen, 1994; Wu et al., 2019). Ross and Goldner (2009) selected medical staff as the research objects and found that interns and nursing students believe that patients with mental illness are dangerous, unpredictable, uncontrollable and need to be isolated.…”