Secondary school Student's perspectives about nursing career and their motivations to become future nurses in Singida municipal: A qualitative study.

AIM: To explore secondary school students' perspectives about nursing careers and their motivations to become future nurses. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted among secondary school students in Central Tanzania. Secondary school students who study science subjects and are eligible for nursing studies were selected from two schools. Two focus-group discussions, comprising seven and eight students per group, one in each school, were conducted. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two themes with seven sub-themes emerged representing students' perspectives about nursing and the factors that motivate them to choose nursing as their future career. These themes are as follows: (1) Perspectives about a nurse and nursing, with five sub-themes: (i) nurses' roles; (ii) qualities of nurses; (iii) workplace for nurses; (iv) nature of the job; and (v) position of a nurse or nursing; and (2) Motivations to become future nurses, with two sub-themes: (i) extrinsic factors, and (ii) intrinsic factors.

Healthcare workers' level of adherence to infection prevention and control and its impact on puerperal and neonatal sepsis among delivering women and neonates in Central Tanzania: a protocol for a prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Delivering women and neonates are at a great risk of acquiring infections due to a lack of adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC), a low level of immunity and extended exposure to care procedures that can lead to infections. This prospective cohort study aims to assess the level of adherence to IPC among healthcare workers and its impact on puerperal and neonatal sepsis in the Dodoma region. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The level of adherence to IPC is examined cross-sectionally among healthcare workers (HCWs) in contact with delivering women and their neonates. A prospective cohort approach is used to assess the level of exposure of 294 delivering women and their neonates to poor hygienic practices of HCWs through an observation checklist. Outcomes, including the incidence of puerperal and neonatal sepsis, are evaluated clinically 2 days later before discharge. Laboratory culture and sensitivity confirmatory tests of blood samples are done on positive cases. Data analysis for level of adherence to IPC practices, incidence of puerperal and neonatal sepsis, and relative risk among the exposed women and neonates will be performed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The University of Dodoma Research Ethics Committee approved this study (ref no. MA.84/261/'A'/25). Findings of this study will be published in international peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at international conferences to the participating hospitals, the University of Dodoma and the Tanzanian Ministry of Health for informing practice and policy.

Learning compassionate care: Experiences of nursing students.

Compassion is a core value of the nursing profession which enables nurses to empathize with and help alleviate patient suffering. Literature increasingly reports a lack of compassion in patient care by students and junior nurses; empirical knowledge regarding experiences of compassionate care among nursing students remains understudied. Student experiences in the clinical setting may influence their development of compassion competencies. This study explored the experiences of baccalaureate nursing students in gaining competencies to deliver compassionate care during their clinical practice year. A descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted. Thematic analysis was employed, generating six themes. The first three themes depict positive aspects of compassion development, including 'gaining patient acceptance,' 'motivation for professional growth,' and 'establishing an emotional bond with patients.' On the other hand, the other three themes capture the barriers to compassionate care, 'distrust,' 'fear of harm due to violence,' and 'heavy workload.' The positive and negative experiences shared by students indicate that hospital and nursing administrators need to foster a positive practice environment and nursing instructors should become role models to encourage compassionate care.

Defining compassionate nursing care.

BACKGROUND: Compassion has long been advocated as a fundamental element in nursing practice and education. However, defining and translating compassion into caring practice by nursing students who are new to the clinical practice environment as part of their educational journey remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore how Chinese baccalaureate nursing students define and characterize compassionate care as they participate in their clinical practice. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study design was used involving a semi-structured in-depth interview method and qualitative content analysis. Twenty senior year baccalaureate nursing students were interviewed during their clinical practicum experience at four teaching hospitals. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Permission to conduct the study was received from the Institutional Review Boards and the participating hospitals. RESULTS: Baccalaureate nursing students defined and characterized compassionate care as a union of "empathy" related to a nurse's desire to "alleviate patients' suffering," "address individualized care needs," "use therapeutic communication," and "promote mutual benefits with patients." Students recognized that the "practice environment" was characterized by nurse leaders' interpersonal relations, role modeling by nurses and workloads which influenced the practice of compassionate care by nursing personnel. CONCLUSION: Compassionate care is crucial for patients, nurses, and students in their professional development as well as the development of the nursing profession. In order to provide compassionate care, a positive practice environment promoted by hospital administrators is needed. This also includes having an adequate workforce of nurses who can role model compassionate care to students in their preceptor role while meeting the needs of their patients.