Andrew L, Dare J, Robinson K, Costello L
Edith Cowan University School of Medical and Health Sciences, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia.
Edith Cowan University School of Arts and Humanities, Joondalup, WA, Australia.
BMC Nurs. 2022 Jan 30;21(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s12912-022-00816-2.
The nursing practicum (clinical practice) is an essential but often highly stressful aspect of the nursing degree. A review of the published literature reveals a strong focus on the stressors that originate within the practicum environment, rather than the student's life outside the university and practice setting. This article reports on an Australian study, completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, of the university experiences of undergraduate women nurse students with family responsibilities. The findings reveal the importance of factors outside the university on the women students' practicum experience and their ability to engage and achieve.
The study was qualitative, guided by Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy. Twenty-nine women students with family responsibilities (partners and children) were interviewed at two stages of their degree journey. Over 50 h of data were thematically analysed.
The themes 'family pressure' and 'practicum poverty' describe the impact of domestic work, family finances and practicum organisation on student stress, wellbeing, achievement, thoughts of attrition, and family tension. These findings are particularly pertinent to Australia and other developed nations where the nurse student demographic continues to age. An interpretation of these findings against the recent impact of COVID-19 on nurse education and women's life choices reveals the likelihood that these difficulties have intensified for women students with family responsibilities since the pandemic began.
Many developed nations, including Australia, are increasingly reliant on older women nurse students to maintain the future graduate nursing workforce. This change in nurse student demographic to the mature-age student requires a revision of the organisation of the nursing practicum. Recommendations to nurse education to improve practicum accessibility for women students who have family responsibilities include the application of a flexible and collaborative approach to practicum organisation and communication. Wider recommendations to Government include a revision of the way the nursing student is financially supported during the practicum. Further research that explores the practicum experience for women nurse students during and following the COVID-19 pandemic is also recommended.
护理实习（临床实践）是护理学位中必不可少但往往压力很大的一个方面。对已发表文献的回顾表明，人们强烈关注实习环境中产生的压力源，而不是学生在大学和实习场所之外的生活。本文报道了一项在新冠疫情之前完成的澳大利亚研究，该研究关注的是承担家庭责任的本科女护生的大学经历。研究结果揭示了大学之外的因素对女生实习经历以及她们参与和取得成绩的能力的重要性。
该研究为定性研究，以伽达默尔的诠释学哲学为指导。对29名承担家庭责任（有伴侣和孩子）的女生在其学位课程的两个阶段进行了访谈。对超过50小时的数据进行了主题分析。
“家庭压力”和“实习困境”这两个主题描述了家务劳动、家庭经济状况和实习安排对学生压力、幸福感、成绩、退学想法以及家庭关系紧张程度的影响。这些研究结果对于澳大利亚和其他发达国家尤为相关，在这些国家，护生群体的年龄在持续增大。结合新冠疫情最近对护理教育和女性生活选择的影响来解读这些研究结果表明，自疫情开始以来，这些困难对于承担家庭责任的女生来说可能已经加剧。
包括澳大利亚在内的许多发达国家越来越依赖年长的女护生来维持未来的护理毕业生队伍。护生群体向成熟年龄学生的这种转变要求对护理实习的安排进行修订。对护理教育的建议是，为承担家庭责任的女生改善实习机会，包括在实习安排和沟通方面采用灵活协作的方法。对政府更广泛的建议包括修订在实习期间对护生的经济支持方式。还建议开展进一步研究，探索新冠疫情期间及之后承担家庭责任的女护生的实习经历。
