Award Date
12-1-2014
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Nursing
First Committee Member
Tish Smyer
Second Committee Member
Alona Angosta
Third Committee Member
Michele Clark
Fourth Committee Member
LeAnn Putney
Number of Pages
103
Abstract
Using a van Manen phenomenological approach combined with a Colaizzi step-wise data analysis procedure, this study seeks to describe the lived experience of recent nursing school graduates during their psychiatric didactic and clinical education and how the experience influenced their view of psychiatric nursing as a specialty choice.
Inclusion criteria for participants were registered nurses (RN) who graduated from their entry level nursing program within the last three years; graduated from a United States RN program; and are currently working as an RN in an inpatient setting. Two groups of participants were selected; one group of nurses who chose psychiatric nursing as their first post-graduation employment after RN licensure and another group of nurses who did not choose psychiatric nursing as their first post-graduation employment.
An overall essence of "Quality of Exposure to Psychiatric Nursing" was identified. Four main themes and five subthemes were identified: (1) fear & anxiety, (1a) unpredictability, (1b) external fear factors of friends & family, (2) clinical exposure, (2a) limited clinical time, (2b) negative role models, (2c) ambiguity of psych nurse skills & role, (3) peer & non-psych faculty not valuing psych, and (4) psych instructor teaching methods. A mitigating factor also emerged associated with all five participants who went into psychiatric nursing having psychiatric exposure prior to their nursing program.
This study contributes to the overall science of nursing related to psychiatric nursing education. Studying this experience provides psychiatric instructors and schools of nursing the opportunity to develop learning experiences that foster future psychiatric nurses.
Keywords
Clinical; Didactic; Nursing students; Phenomenological; Psychiatric nurses – Recruitment; Psychiatric nursing; Psychiatric nursing – Study and teaching; Specialty choice
Disciplines
Education | Nursing | Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
File Format
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Mcconlogue, Lisa, "The Lived Experience of Nursing Students During Their Psychiatric Nursing Education: Does It Influence View of Psychiatric Nursing as a Career Choice?" (2014). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2282.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/7048601
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/