Communication Experiences of Nursing students with Children and Their Families: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION: The clinical setting is often a stressful and anxiety-provoking environment. In particular, caring for pediatric patients causes students to experience anxiety in the clinic. It is extremely important to learn how to communicate effectively with the child’s parents and family members in overcoming this difficulty and providing effective care. The aim of this study is to determine the communication experiences of students with children and their parents during the clinical education of pediatric nursing course.
METHODS: The phenomenological approach, which is a qualitative research method, was used in the study. The population of the study comprised fourth-year students from the Faculty of Nursing, who accomplished the pediatric nursing course. The study was conducted with 15 students, who agreed to participate voluntarily, via in-depth interviews.
RESULTS: The themes emerging as a result of the interviews conducted with the students were “difficulties and facilitators,” “family-centered care experiences,” and “acquisitions.” In the study, most of the student nurses stated that they felt fear, restlessness, and anxiety when they first came to the service, and they had difficulty in communicating with the hospitalized child and the family. The students stated that they had difficulties in communication especially due to the age and diagnosis of the children.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The study revealed that it is necessary to develop students’ skills of communication with children and their families. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the communication skills of student nurses by organizing trainings. It is recommended to create interactive environments where student nurses can express their difficulties.