The Experiences of Patients Receiving Care from Nurse Interns: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract:

The patient is one of the essential components of the educational environment process, playing a significant role in nurse interns' clinical experience. Clinical experience is necessary to nurse interns' learning as it prepares them to provide high-quality care to patients. The study explores the experiences of patients cared for by nurse interns in Saudi Arabia. The researchers used a qualitative phenomenological design and interviewed six patient participants in a government hospital under nurse interns' care. Six focused interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: Patient Experiences, Factors Affecting the Patient Experiences, the Barriers to Patient–Nurse Intern Relationships, and Perceived Patient Roles. The findings are discussed against Peplau's theory of interpersonal relationships, suggesting that the nurse interns' and patients' roles and behaviors affect their relationship and the learning process. Therefore, we recommend that instructors prepare student nurses focusing on interpersonal processes.