Abstract:

This study aims to provide visibility to the student’s emotional experience during the provision of care in clinical teaching. The following objectives were set out: to identify emotions in the student/patient interaction; to identify the type of care generating greater emotional impact on students; and to understand how students manage their emotional impact of care provision.

This is a retrospective study comprising both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The former, of exploratory nature, was used to collect information through learning narratives and thematic narratives, using the Bardin’s content analysis. The latter was a quantitative approach using a questionnaire which included the Assessing Emotions Scale.

The third stage of the study was descriptive and analytical, with the application of a questionnaire to 411 students who developed their clinical teaching in differentiated care. The questionnaire included socio-demographic variables and the 24 items of the Scale assessed the following indicators: Fear; Happiness; Anxiety; Guilt; Anger; Surprise and Sadness.

Communication and dealing with death were the most valued aspects by the students, thus showing the highest mean scores.
The students’ least valued aspects were cardiopulmonary resuscitation; post-mortem care; hygiene care; wound care; urinary catheterization; and, lastly, venous catheterization.

After testing the formulated hypotheses, we found some differences in the mean results between male and female students’ emotions involving the provision of care and between students from different course years.

Keywords:

Nursing students, emotions, nursing care.