Nursing students' perceived consequences of self-medication: a qualitative study
Alireza Khatony1, Ali Soroush2, Bahare Andayeshgar2
1Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
BMC Nursing
|July 30, 2020
Summary
Nursing students perceive self-medication as having both benefits like time and cost savings, and significant risks including health system harm and potential death. Education is crucial to address misconceptions about this global health issue.
Area of Science:
- Health Professions Education
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Global Health Issues
Background:
- Self-medication is a global health issue with numerous associated problems and complications.
- Limited information exists regarding healthcare workers' perceptions, specifically nursing students.
- This study explores nursing students' views on the consequences of self-medication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the perceived consequences of self-medication among nursing students.
- To understand the dual nature of perceived outcomes, both positive and negative.
- To inform educational strategies for nursing students regarding self-medication.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured, face-to-face individual interviews.
- Purposeful sampling used to recruit twelve nursing students (21-36 years old; 5 male, 7 female; 5 undergraduate, 7 master's).
- Content analysis applied to interview data to identify emergent themes.
Main Results:
- Data analysis revealed two main categories: positive and negative consequences of self-medication.
- Positive consequences included time saving, cost savings, and disease treatment.
- Negative consequences encompassed harming the health system, antimicrobial resistance, physical complications, and mortality.
Conclusions:
- Nursing students recognize both beneficial and detrimental outcomes of self-medication.
- The study highlights the potential dangers of self-medication, including serious health risks.
- Recommendations include educating students on adverse effects and correcting misconceptions by nursing educators.
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