Caring relationships between nursing students and their patients.

The meaning of a caring experience between a nursing student and a patient was explored in this phenomenologic study. Twenty-two undergraduate students wrote an in-depth account of a caring experience they had with one of their patients. Using Van Manen's phenomenologic approach, the following five essential themes of a caring nursing student-patient experience emerged: authentic presence, competence, emotional support, physical comforting, and positive consequences. Implications for nurse educators are addressed.