Edmonds Mary, Abdulmohdi Naim
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Nurs Crit Care. 2025 Mar;30(2):e13286. doi: 10.1111/nicc.13286.
Traditionally, ward placements have been utilized for nursing students to refine their management skills before registration. Whilst intensive care units (ICUs) offer unique learning opportunities, they are underutilized for student practice, and limited research has examined ICUs as conducive environments for developing management skills.
This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students during their final-year placement in critical care.
An inductive methodology was employed to explore the complexities of being a final-year nursing student in critical care setting. Ten students were recruited between September 2019 and February 2020. Data were collected using individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews before the Covid-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data.
Three themes were identified: barriers to learning, empowering transformation and a state of readiness. All the nursing students valued a placement that provided 'real learning' experiences and informed their needs and growth. Coaching and constructive feedback provided crucial markers and influenced students' learning performance. As their confidence increased, students became proactive in identifying complex caring activities to test and refine their knowledge and skills. Students visualized themselves working as a registered nurse within the critical care team.
With appropriate support and supervision, a critical care placement for final-year nursing students is a stimulating and transformational experience.
This study highlights the importance of critical care placements for nursing students, aiding their transition to professional practice. Integrating well-supported placements into nursing curricula enhances decision-making abilities and readiness for future roles. Critical care nurse educators and managers should focus on developing effective support systems during these placements. By providing tailored support and preparing students for the demands of critical care, these experiences can improve job satisfaction and confidence, which are crucial for staff recruitment and retention in this challenging field.
传统上，病房实习一直被用于护理专业学生在注册前提升其管理技能。虽然重症监护病房（ICU）提供了独特的学习机会，但它们在学生实践中的利用率较低，并且仅有有限的研究将ICU视为培养管理技能的有利环境。
这项定性研究旨在探索护理专业学生在最后一年重症监护实习期间的经历。
采用归纳法来探究在重症监护环境中作为最后一年护理专业学生的复杂性。在2019年9月至2020年2月期间招募了10名学生。在新冠疫情大流行之前，通过个人面对面的半结构化访谈收集数据。采用主题分析法对访谈数据进行分析。
确定了三个主题：学习障碍、赋能转变和准备状态。所有护理专业学生都重视能提供“真实学习”体验并满足其需求和促进其成长的实习。指导和建设性反馈提供了关键指标并影响学生的学习表现。随着信心的增强，学生们开始积极主动地识别复杂的护理活动，以检验和完善他们的知识与技能。学生们设想自己在重症监护团队中担任注册护士。
在适当的支持和监督下，最后一年护理专业学生在重症监护病房的实习是一次激励人心且具有变革性的经历。
本研究强调了重症监护实习对护理专业学生的重要性，有助于他们向专业实践过渡。将得到充分支持的实习纳入护理课程可提高决策能力以及对未来角色的准备程度。重症监护护士教育工作者和管理人员应在这些实习期间专注于建立有效的支持系统。通过提供量身定制的支持并让学生为重症监护的需求做好准备，这些经历可以提高工作满意度和信心，这对于在这个具有挑战性的领域招聘和留住员工至关重要。
