The first experiences of clinical practice of psychiatric nursing students in Taiwan: a phenomenological study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of psychiatric nursing students during their first encounters with psychiatric patients in a clinical setting. The objective is to assist educational professionals in mental health to improve teaching strategies. BACKGROUND: In clinical settings, student psychiatric nurses have to face complex problems and situations that can result in distress. Sometimes the student nurse will be uncertain of their own ability and this is reflected in a sense of fear on the part of some nurses. However, little research has been conducted into the first clinical experiences of such nursing students in Taiwan. DESIGN: A qualitative phenomenological study was devised to explore what psychiatric nursing students perceived during their first experiences of clinical practice and narratives were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. METHOD: A phenomenological approach and purposive sampling were used in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect the data and during the process of data analysis we established epochs (bracketing) and focused on the reality of the student nurses' experience to keep the data objective. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: breaking the stigma of mental illness, developing a trusting relationship with the patient, gaining professional knowledge and skills and the process of student growth. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study demonstrate that it is important to understand the perceptions of students during their first experiences of psychiatric nursing in a clinical setting and highlight the importance of educational programs. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: By understanding the emotional process that psychiatric nursing students may go through during their clinical practice, educators can be better able to design suitable training courses in the future.

The experiences of primary caregivers raising school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To understand the experiences of primary caregivers who are bringing up school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The research findings will help address the problems related to caring for school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, the rate of school-aged children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ranges from 7.9-11.7%. This study is the first, which tries to understand the experiences of primary caregivers who are bringing up school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Taiwan. DESIGN: The study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of caregivers raising school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. METHODS: Purposive sampling and in-depth, face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. The unstructured interview guide allowed the major caregivers to express their experiences of raising school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. When data saturation was reached, the sample size comprised 12 major caregivers. Narratives were analysed according to Colaizzi's seven-step method. RESULTS: Three themes and seven sub-themes emerged from this study: the burdens of caring (parenting burdens, emotional burdens and family conflicts), the lack of adequate support systems (lack of support from professionals, spouses and other family members) and the mechanisms of coping (cognitive coping strategies and social coping strategies). Furthermore, several other factors that affected the caregivers of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are also revealed in the study. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study demonstrate the importance of understanding the experiences of primary caregivers, bringing up school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Improving professional services in family care should be a major concern for all healthcare professionals. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The recommendations that have been made based on the findings of this research can be used as a guide to improve the delivery of caring by people who have school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and by the wider family.