R425 first year student nurses ‘experience of encounters with death of a patient during clinical placement

Abstract

Abstract Background R425 first year student nurses encountered death of patients at their earliest time of training due to the curriculum that expects them to be placed in various clinical facilities to obtain psychomotor skills competencies. These encounters have been found to be very difficult and challenging for first year student nurses, because of inadequate knowledge and skills to effectively deal with death of a patient. The aim of this study is to explore and describe R425 first year student nurses ‘experience of encounters with death of a patient during clinical placement. Method A qualitative-exploratory-descriptive and contextual research design was conducted, using a purposive, nonprobability sampling approach. Fifteen R425 first year student nurses voluntary agreed to participate in the study. Unstructured individual interviews were conducted with all fifteen participants. Results Four themes emerged, namely, knowledge, psychological trauma, low self-esteem, and nutritional disorders. Themes had sub-themes. Results confirmed that indeed first year student nurses are not coping in dealing with death of a patient during clinical placements. Conclusion Due to inability of R425 first year student nurses to cope in dealing with death and dying of a patient during clinical placement, it is evident that in that level of training, it is too early to expose students to skills such as last offices, and such skills can be deferred and introduced at a later stage of training. There is, therefore, a need for review of curriculum for R425 first year student nurses.