Undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of clinical placement in male psychiatric wards in Gauteng Province

Abstract

Undergraduate nursing training incorporates theory and clinical placement for experiential learning. During their training, students are allocated to various health institutions, including psychiatric hospitals, to integrate theory with clinical practice. They are challenged with multiple situations that affect their academic performance, including when placed in psychiatric wards for male patients. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of undergraduate nursing students of clinical placement in male psychiatric wards in Gauteng Province, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. A qualitative descriptive design was used in which the population was fourth-level undergraduate nursing students. Purposive sampling was used to select students. Data was collected during 2023 using individual semi-structured interviews recorded on an audio recorder and supported by field notes. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Three themes emerged from the semi- structured interviews: perceived anxiety, concern about safety and positive learning experience. Undergraduate nursing students experience anxiety during their clinical placement in a male psychiatric ward, highlighting its association with decreased confidence, impaired decision-making, and challenges in skill acquisition. Thus, there is a crucial need for a more supportive clinical environment to improve both clinical education and students’ emotional health.