Nursing students' views of the nursing process and its challenges, and their solutions: A qualitative study

Abstract

Abstract Background: The nursing process is a systematic approach to identifying the care needs of healthy individuals or patients, and families and groups and to planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing interventions. Nursing students are also an integral part of it. Research, however, shows that they experience challenges at different stages of the nursing process Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the opinions of nursing undergraduate students regarding the nursing process, challenges experienced in the nursing process and solution suggestions. Methodology: The sample of this qualitative study consisted of 31 participants. Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form and a semi-structured interview form between 20 and 24 January 2020. Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: The students stated that they have difficulties in many steps of the nursing process, they could not get sufficient feedback from the instructors and the instructors gave different messages. The duration of clinical practice is short, and therefore, students are assigned different patients each time they go to the clinic and cannot find the opportunity to put their care plans into practice. Conclusions: Nursing students face different problems about nursing process. Therefore, the problems need to be solved.