Intensive care experiences of intern nurse students: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the experiences of nursing interns in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Design: This study was a descriptive qualitative research.

Settings, participants, methods: The study data were collected via focus group interviews of 25 nursing interns in the two different ICUs of a university hospital who had volunteered to participate in the study. There were four focus group interviews in all, one for each of four different groups of nursing interns. The semi-structured interview form was used in the study.

Results: Seven themes emerged in the study: fear, awareness of nurses' roles, finding opportunities for self-improvement, difficulty in caregiving, difficulty in communicating with the patients and the care team, experiencing ambivalent feelings related to death, and adaptation to the clinical environment.

Conclusions: Doing one's internship in the ICU was evaluated by the nursing interns in this study as a beneficial practice despite the difficulties involved in it. It is recommended, that intensive-care practices be included in the undergraduate education program for nurses and that appropriate guidance and monitoring be given to the nursing interns in ICUs.

Keywords: Experience; Intensive care units; Nursing students; Qualitative research.