STUDENT NURSE EXPERIENCES

Abstract

A recent meeting with key personnel in nursing reported that Malaysia is currently facing a 14 percent nursing shortage. At the same time, it is quite alarming to note that about 300 to 400 Malaysian nurses each year leave the job to join the private sector, or leave the country to work in Saudi Arabia, UK and Australia.

Various factors have been cited as leading to the above situation, including low pay, a stressful working environment, and the fact that fewer young people are choosing to enter the profession. Nursing has also become very stressful, what with staffing issues, and it has become apparent that if we are to maintain the integrity of nursing, we must both recruit and retain qualified individuals. Future nurses - i.e. students - need to be nurtured and educated according to the highest standards of practice, and it is important for faculty to play a pivotal role in assisting them throughout their educational process.

The purpose of this study was to describe and explicate the experience of being a nursing student. A convenience sample of l O students were interviewed personally by the researcher using an interview guide. Specific openended questions were asked as to explore the students' experiences. Their stories provided an insight into the satisfaction, hopes, challenges, and stresses faced by students. Several major theme clusters emerged from the data;
i) feeling overworked;
ii) feeling unprepared;
iii) seeking support from one's
faculty and one's family;
iv) meeting with conflicts anddemands.

These identified themes seem to corroborate with the findings of other researcher who has studied the student experience. These findings should be taken into
consideration as it could be very helpful in helping nursing students get adjusted, feel less stressed and less overworked while undergoing the nursing programme.