Learning Experiences of Nursing Students in an Intensive Care Practicum

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to describe the learning experiences of nursing students undertaking an intensive care practicum. The participants were 16 third-year nursing students recruited with purposive sample technique. The data were collected through in-depth interviews using a tape recorder between August and October, 2022 and analyzed using content analysis method.

The results showed that the experiences of the nursing students were obtained during practice in an intensive care unit can be categorized into 2 aspects: 1) competencies of intensive care nursing including nursing assessments, advanced medical usages, and holistic care for patients and families and 2) obstacles during nursing practicum including adaptations to unfamiliar environments, delayed performance, uncertainty in performance, and various procedures in the intensive care unit. The findings revealed the learning experiences and obstacles that occurred in the practicum, and can be used for learning plan and management in order to improve the quality of learning in nursing students.