The following is a summary of “Initial Experiences of Junior Nursing College Students When Communicating with Children During Pediatric Clinical Practicum: A Phenomenological Study,” published in the February 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Chang et al.
Nursing students often experience stress during pediatric clinical practicum, particularly due to limited communication opportunities with hospitalized children. This study aimed to elucidate the experiences of junior nursing college students in communicating with children during pediatric clinical practicums.
Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 junior nursing college students who had completed their pediatric clinical practicum. Data analysis followed Colaizzi’s seven-step method for qualitative data analysis.
The analysis yielded three prominent themes that were initial Practicum Communication Challenges: Nursing students faced hurdles such as fear, rejection, self-doubt, and unfamiliarity with communication techniques, hampering their interaction with pediatric patients, learning Efforts during Practicum: Students employed self-empowerment, sought diverse support systems, adapted communication methods, and focused on building rapport to navigate the pediatric curriculum and proficient Communication in Later Stages were mastery of fundamental communication skills and implementation of pediatric therapeutic communication techniques led to students’ sense of accomplishment.
Junior nursing college students encountered initial difficulties and frustrations in communicating with children during pediatric clinical practicum. Findings from this study can inform educators in pediatric nursing to develop communication-focused courses tailored to interacting with hospitalized children.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0882596324000228
