The impact of clinical encounters on student nurses’ ethical caring

Abstract

The aim of this study was to get a deeper understanding of student nurses’ experiences of personal caring ethics by reflection on caring encounters with patients in clinical practice, ethical caring ideals, ethical problems, and sources for inner strength that give courage to practice good caring. In all, 24 Scandinavian student nurses participated voluntarily in an interview study. The interviews were analyzed within a phenomenological–hermeneutical approach and revealed three themes. The students found themselves in two different states of vulnerability: one in which they were overwhelmed by their vulnerability and began to suffer themselves and the other where their vulnerability became a source of development with focus on the patient. The students’ ethical caring ideals served as fixed reference points in their ethical development, but their ideals were at risk of decline. The students reflected on the barriers for performing ethical care and nurtured their ethical ideals by providing ethical care in secret. Caring in secret occurred also when student nurses did not experience a shared ethos.

The caring concept, its behaviours and obstacles: perceptions from a qualitative study of undergraduate nursing students

“…Students reported joy and satisfaction when they could take care of family members or patients and enjoyed working with people. Recently, Curtis () has reported that students feel personal satisfaction when they may have appreciated the effects of their care; previously, Pedersen and Sivonen () have also reported that student joy and motivation towards further development came from caring ideals such as “making a difference” and “providing loving care”.…”

“…6C's as care, compassion, communication, commitment, courage, competence) (Francis, ; NHS, Commissioning Board, ). Strengthening the caring identity of students, and enabling them to match their idealistic caring vision with that agreed upon by the nursing profession, is also recommended (Pedersen & Sivonen, ). In fact, the newly enrolled nursing students enter their training period with a personal vision of care and being a caring person, which is generally idealistic (Dobrowolska et al., ; Mackintosh, ; Murphy, Jones, Edwards, & Mayer, ).…”

“…Many studies on students' perception of the caring concept and caring behaviour are available (cf. Dobrowolska et al., ; Labrague et al., ; Ma et al., ; Milnar, ; Murphy et al., ; Pedersen & Sivonen, ; Sapountzi‐Krepia et al., ). However, few studies have been conducted to date using a longitudinal perspective, analysing changes occurring in caring concept and behaviour during the first clinical learning experience among the same group of students (cf.…”

Reflections about experiences of compassionate care from award winning undergraduate nurses – What, so what … now what?

“…Curtis [9] found that student nurses wanted to provide compassionate care but felt unsure of their capacity to do this and sustain it in practice. Others suggest that students' ideals of care, though already present as a strong motivator when they commence their studies, increased as they grew in knowledge and competence [10]. They also found that when students experience moral distress when these ideals are challenged through witnessing poor care, these ideals are upheld.…”

“…They also found that when students experience moral distress when these ideals are challenged through witnessing poor care, these ideals are upheld. These emotionally challenging situations can however become a vehicle for personal and professional growth when students find the courage to uphold their ideals and increase their ability to provide care that is more compassionate [10].…”