Student nurse placements take a new direction

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Holistic Care
• Clinical Placements

Background:

• Innovative clinical placements offer unique learning opportunities for student nurses.
• The charity 'Across' provides specialized travel experiences for seriously ill and disabled individuals.
• Developing holistic caring skills is crucial for pre-registration nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of UK student nurses during a novel clinical placement.
• To assess the impact of this placement on developing holistic caring skills.
• To identify key themes related to caring, interpersonal skills, spirituality, and trust.

Main Methods:

• Six third-year student nurses participated in a two-week clinical placement.
• Students maintained reflective diaries throughout the placement.
• Focus groups were conducted, audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Four primary themes emerged: perceptions of caring, interpersonal skills, spirituality, and trust.
• The placement boosted student confidence and enhanced interpersonal skills, especially listening.
• Student-VIP relationships were personalized, moving beyond superficial interactions.

Conclusions:

• The clinical placement successfully enhanced student nurses' holistic caring abilities.
• This experience demonstrated the value of specialized placements in nursing education.
• Pre-registration nursing programs should consider similar placements to foster essential caring skills.