Experience of the Nursing Students Who Took Charge of End-of-life Cancer Patients in Clinical Practice of Gerontological Nursing

ABSTRACT

In this study, we clarify the experiences of students through providing nursing care for end-of-life cancer patients and examine the guidance of clinical practice necessary to link the experiences with the result of learning. We conduct interview survey of 15 nursing third graders who take care of terminal older cancer patients in clinical practice in gerontological nursing. The students’ experience was classified into six categories ; “Repentance for doing nothing”, “Involvement actively with patients”, “Awareness of life preciousness”, “Concentration on daily nursing”, “Repentance for insufficient care”, “Respect for patients’ own lives”. The student’s experience focused on the terminal stage situation, and it was an experience to learn the importance of making them live with dignity, reflecting on their own care. It was suggested that widening students’ view of patients’ individual lives was quite useful to consider terminal care based on the characteristics of people.