Not utilized learning potentials student nurses' learning processes in interaction with psychiatric patients

Abstract

When the Danish nursing training became a Bachelor's Degree in 2002, the clinical element of the course was reduced, so it was necessary to optimize learning in practice. As a consequence, I conducted a qualitative investigation about student nurses' learning processes during their clinical placement in a psychiatric hospital unit. The study describes and explains student nurses' learning processes in non-routine situations where they interact with psychiatric patients. The aim was to understand the characteristics of these learning processes. An explorative and qualitative descriptive approach was chosen. The theoretical conceptual framework primarily consists of Jarvis' concept of disjuncture and Heiler's theory of everyday life. Data was collected from qualitative, semi-structured interviews with, observations of, and "obser-views" with a volunteer sample of 11 students doing their psychiatric placement on 11 wards. The empirical material comprises over 1,000 transcribed pages. Qualitative content analysis was used. Firstly, the analysis of data and theory resulted in extension of Jarvis' concept of disjuncture in a concept named "collective not- conscious disjuncture"2. Secondly, a consequence of the analysis was development of my concept of "pseudo-everyday life activities"'. Finally, and also based on the analysis of data and theory, I created a categorization model for, and a theory about, student nurses' learning processes. Students and their mentors are unaware that the former are in potential learning situations when they interact on their own with patients, and also that it is non- routine for students to interact with patients in pseudo-everyday life activities. In summary, it may be possible to optimize learning in practice if not-conscious learning opportunities are made conscious.