Supporting students to return to study following course interruption (SuTuRe).

BACKGROUND: The pre-registration BSc Nursing course in the UK is renowned for being challenging due to its requirement for 2300 hours each for theoretical and practice-based learning. It is therefore inevitable that some students may need to interrupt their study at some point during the course. In many cases, these students do not return and leave the course, which has an impact on the future nursing workforce. AIMS: To examine the reasons why pre-registration student nurses interrupt their studies and consider ways to enable them to return successfully and complete the course. METHODS: The research project was based in one higher education institution (HEI) in the North West region of England. Interrupted students due to return to study in semester 1 of the 2022/23 academic year (n=95) were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. FINDINGS: Health, including mental health was the dominant factor leading to the interruption of study for the students. CONCLUSION: This research has led the HEI to introduce an improved support package for students. Alongside other recommendations it is hoped the changes will reduce attrition and lead to an improved interruption/return-to-study experience.

Characterization of the supervision of clinical reasoning by nurse anesthetists with student nurse anesthetists: a qualitative study / Caractérisation de la supervision du raisonnement clinique par les infirmiers anesthésistes auprès des étudiants infirmiers anesthésistes : une étude qualitative.

Introduction: Errors in reasoning are the main causes of poor decision-making in clinical practice. To remedy this, many studies highlight the importance of supervising clinical reasoning during medical internships. Although decision-making is an ongoing process at all key moments of the perioperative period, there are no studies on the supervision of clinical reasoning during student nurse anesthetist internships. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of the supervision of clinical reasoning by anesthesia professionals with student nurse anesthetists. Methodology: A multicenter qualitative study was carried out using observations and individual interviews with five nurse anesthetists and five students. Results: Three themes are identified : the characteristics of the learner's and supervisor's posture ; the teaching methods used ; and the specificities of clinical reasoning. Analysis: The nurse anesthetists question clinical reasoning only when they detect difficulties in the student. However, no traceability is carried out. Students spontaneously verbalize their clinical reasoning when unexpected events occur. Discussion: The results will be used as a basis for a new tool for tracing learning during internships.

Introduction: Les erreurs de raisonnement sont les principales causes de mauvaise prise de décision en clinique. Pour y remédier, de nombreuses études montrent l'importance de la supervision du raisonnement clinique pendant les stages en médecine. Bien que la prise de décision soit permanente lors de tous les moments clés de la période péri-opératoire, il n'existe aucune étude sur la supervision du raisonnement clinique durant les stages des étudiants infirmiers anesthésistes. L'objectif de cette étude est d'identifier les caractéristiques de la supervision du raisonnement clinique par les professionnels d'anesthésie auprès des étudiants infirmiers anesthésistes. Méthodologie: Une étude qualitative multicentrique a été réalisée à l'aide d'observations et d'entretiens individuels auprès de cinq infirmiers anesthésistes et cinq étudiants. Résultats: Les trois thèmes identifiés sont les caractéristiques de la posture de l'apprenant et du superviseur, les méthodes pédagogiques utilisées et les spécificités du raisonnement clinique. Analyse: Les infirmiers anesthésistes questionnent le raisonnement clinique uniquement quand ils détectent des difficultés chez l'étudiant ; cependant, aucune traçabilité n'est réalisée. Les étudiants verbalisent spontanément leur raisonnement clinique lors d'événements imprévus. Discussion: Les résultats serviront de base à un nouvel outil de traçabilité des apprentissages en stage.

Opinions and Experiences of Foreign Student Nurses Regarding Patient Care Practices in Türkiye: A Qualitative Study.

Aims: We aimed to identify the unique challenges and opportunities faced by international student nurses in Türkiye when practicing patient care. This understanding is essential for educators, healthcare institutions, and policy makers to create more inclusive and supportive environments that enhance learning and professional development. Addressing these challenges can lead to better integration of foreign student nurses into the healthcare system, ultimately improving patient care quality. This research is important for all stakeholders in healthcare - educators, administrators, policymakers, and patients - because a diverse and well-supported nursing workforce is essential for the delivery of culturally competent and high-quality care. Methods: This study employed interpretative phenomenology. Data were collected from 12 foreign nursing students from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Netherlands. Data were collected between 01 and 20 May 2023 in the Nursing Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of a state university in the province of Sanliurfa, located in the southeastern region of Türkiye. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results: We identified four themes: "Metaphors describing patient care practices," "Factors affecting care practices," "Needs for education and support," and "Opportunities during patient care practices." Positively influencing factors included better education and living standards and economic benefits, while negatively influencing factors were traumatic events before studying abroad, racial discrimination, language and cultural differences, negative emotions, peer victimization, and lack of use of standards. Interviewees reported a need for training and support and that patient care practices provided opportunities for greater awareness, responsibility, and professional integration. Discussion: Positive and negative experiences of foreign student nurses were evident in the delivery of patient care practice. Interventions are needed to alleviate negatively influencing factors, provide training and support for students, and improve opportunities for foreign nationals. Identification of these factors can help medical educators to develop culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches, as well as individual/organisational facilitators that enhance existing opportunities and remove barriers.

Students who witness critical events in the clinical setting: Recommendations for prevention of psychological trauma.

BACKGROUND: Student nurses often do not receive adequate preparation, support, and debriefing related to witnessing or experiencing critical events in the clinical setting. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to describe the experiences of student nurses who have witnessed critical events in the clinical setting, the support and preparation they received, and staff and faculty actions they perceived as facilitating or hindering their processing of the event. METHODS: This is a sub-analysis of a Straussian Grounded Theory qualitative study. RESULTS: Staff and faculty actions that helped and hindered the processing of the critical event were identified at four time points: pre-event, during the critical event, immediately post-event, and in the days and weeks following. CONCLUSIONS: Students exposed to critical events during their clinical rotations can experience psychological trauma. If unresolved, this can result in new nurses entering the profession already in distress. Preparation and support for witnessing critical patient events should start at the beginning of nursing school. During critical patient events, students need faculty or staff to be actively present to explain the event and support the student throughout the event. Immediate debrief and follow-up is recommended and should continue weeks or months after the event.

Exploring clinical facilitation and student learning on undergraduate nursing placements through a community of practice lens: A qualitative study.

Background: High-quality clinical placement experiences are important for preparing undergraduate student nurses for practice. Clinical facilitation and support significantly impact student placement experiences and their development of skills, knowledge, and attitudes in the healthcare setting.Aim: This research aimed to explore university-employed clinical facilitators' perspectives on providing quality clinical facilitation and student learning on placement.Design: An exploratory, descriptive research design was used to examine the perspectives of n = 10 university-employed clinical facilitators working in regional New South Wales, Australia (March 2020-December 2021).Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of a purposeful sample of university-employed clinical facilitators. Data was thematically analysed using Miles et al.'s (2014) qualitative data analysis framework.Results: Five key themes were identified 1) relationships at the core of quality, 2) a culture of commitment to student learning, 3) connection to the curriculum, 4) examining the model, and 5) empowering growth and development. Clinical facilitators perceive their role as misunderstood, undervalued, and isolating and that they require further preparation and ongoing professional development to provide quality facilitation. Building rapport and relationships with staff and students was at the core of quality clinical facilitation.Conclusions: The clinical facilitator role has an important function in preparing student nurses for practice and needs further recognition and continued professional development. Education providers and healthcare organisations need to examine strategies to provide inclusive and supportive work environments, building communities of practice for clinical facilitators and stakeholders to share their experiences and knowledge, promoting individual and group learning, thus improving the student placement experience and fostering the professional identity of clinical facilitators.

Nurse anaesthetists' experiences of student nurse anaesthetist learning during clinical practice: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: The professional role of a nurse anaesthetist involves taking a pedagogical approach towards students, including supervision during clinical practice. Although supervisors are facilitators of student learning, they are offered little training in adult learning principles. The aim of this study was to describe supervisors' experience of student nurse anaesthetist learning during clinical practice in the operating room. METHOD: In this qualitative interview study, 12 semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with clinical supervising nurse anaesthetists. The data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The results are illustrated with one theme and five sub-themes. The clinical learning situation of student nurse anaesthetists is described as a reflection of different cultures coming together. The operating room environment is a new context to students, and students enter with different clinical background and experiences. There is tension in facilitating student learning due to demands for productivity; supervisors suggest the use of separate operating rooms with a special focus on learning in the future. CONCLUSION: Clinical practice facilitates student learning and is a parallel process to routine care. Thus, it requires the cultures of higher education and healthcare organizations to co-exist. This is illustrated with the theme "Contributing to students' future professional roles by bridging the hospital and university cultures". In the operating room, student learning is challenged by a new context and time pressure as shown by subthemes. To overcome challenges and support student learning in the operating room from a supervisors' perspective, interprofessional student teams are suggested as a future approach and need to be further investigated.

Compassionate Care: A Qualitative Exploration of Nurses' Inner Resources in the Face of Burnout.

There is a universal shortage of nurses, with a current needs-based shortage of 5.9 million. This is not solely a recruitment issue but one of retention, triggered by high levels of work-induced stress, burnout, and reports of low job satisfaction resulting in poor care delivery. Some of the health repercussions on nurses include anxiety, insomnia, depression, migraines, irritability, absenteeism, and sometimes alcoholism and drug abuse. To tackle some of these costly issues, a qualitative exploration into how inner resources is used by nurses to cope with stress at different points of their careers is proposed. Through the lens of grounded theory, semi-structured interviews will be carried out with two distinct sets of participants: (1) Student nurses registered at the University of the Illes Baleares between 2022-2025. (2) Experienced nurses on the Balearic nursing register. Interviews will be coded and then analysed using Atlas.ti. Expected results will inform curriculum improvements that will benefit the well-being of (student) nurses, from the outset of their training, pre-empting potential psycho-social risks before they arise in the workplace. This is vital as it addresses nurses' mental health as well as chronic issues of retention and absenteeism.

Student Nurse Anesthetists' and Supervisors' Perspectives of Learning in the Operating Room: An Integrative Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to identify supporting and hindering factors for student nurse anesthetists' (SNAs') learning in the operating room during clinical practice, from students' and supervisors' perspectives. DESIGN: An integrative review. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted in Medline, Cinahl, PsycInfo, and ERIC. Search terms were related to nurse anesthetist, education, operating room context, and clinical setting. Searches were performed at three points in time and in total 1,530 unique articles were identified. After screening using Covidence and using Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools, 34 articles remained. These were analyzed inductively using a constant comparison method. FINDINGS: Supporting factors include preparation before clinical practice, clearly stated expectations, a respectful relationship with the supervisor, daily planning and communication, and constructive feedback. Hindering factors include lack of time, disruptive behavior from supervisors or other team members, and environmental factors such as a high room temperature and noisy environment. CONCLUSIONS: SNAs' learning situation in the operating room resembles undergraduate nurses' learning during clinical practice. Educators and supervisors can take several actions to promote SNAs' learning. Further research is warranted on the effect of teamwork on SNAs' learning.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among student nurses and midwives: A systematic review.

AIM: To synthesize research investigating suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm and suicide ideation in nursing and midwifery students, a group of interest due to high rates of suicide among qualified nurses. Specific areas of interest for this review included prevalence, factors which may contribute to or mitigate risk and suicide prevention interventions. DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. DATA SOURCES: Three electronic databases were searched, and additional articles identified using hand-searching. Studies were included if they examined suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm or suicide ideation in nursing or midwifery students. REVIEW METHODS: Studies were deduplicated and assessed for inclusion. Data from included studies were extracted, quality of studies assessed and data synthesized, informed by study focus, design and assessed quality. RESULTS: About 46 studies of largely moderate to low quality were identified. A high-quality study demonstrated increased risk of suicide in Swedish female nursing students, and increased risk of self-harm in nursing students of both sexes. Prevalence of suicide ideation did not appear to differ across course year, or between nursing students and students on other programmes. Psychiatric conditions, particularly depression, were associated with suicide ideation. Three studies related to suicide prevention interventions were identified. Integration of wellness initiatives into the curriculum and peer support were preferred interventions among nursing students and teaching staff. CONCLUSIONS: To understand the extent of suicide and self-harm among nursing and midwifery students there is a need for further epidemiological research stratified by programme of study. To develop prevention interventions and initiatives for nursing students, high-quality longitudinal studies should examine characteristics associated with suicide and self-harm. IMPACT: Current findings suggest interventions could include support for students experiencing mental health difficulties, foster peer support, and help develop wellness. No patient or public contribution.

What Role Does "Emotional Medicine" Play in Oncology Nursing?

The Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship is an eight-week immersive experience that allows rising senior nursing students to gain clinical experience and promotes professional development in oncology nursing.

Supporting learners in prison healthcare work-integrated learning settings through simulation: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students and nurse preceptors indicate that a comprehensive orientation is vital to successful work-integrated learning placements in Prison Health Services. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a Prison Health Service orientation package that included innovative asynchronous online video simulations with branched decision-making and feedback opportunities to stimulate learning and improve students' feelings of preparedness for a placement in this setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional pre and post design was used to evaluate the resource. Students were given access to the package and invited to complete a pre-placement survey evaluating the resource and their feelings of preparedness for placement. Following placement, they re-evaluated the resource in terms of how well it prepared them for the placement and how well prepared they felt. Third year Australian undergraduate nursing students from one university who completed a Prison Health Service work-integrated learning placement in 2018, 2021, and 2022 were invited to participate. Placements were unavailable in 2019 and 2020. Independent t-tests were used to determine differences in scale means and level of preparedness between pre- and post-survey responses. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 40 (57.5%) eligible nursing students completed the pre-placement survey and 13 (32.5%) completed the post placement survey. All respondents to the pre-placement survey indicated that they felt satisfactorily, well, or very well prepared after completing the orientation package prior to their clinical placement. Students were significantly more likely to consider themselves well prepared by the package after they had attended placement (p < .001). All students post placement indicated that overall, the simulation resources and the specific simulation scenario about personal boundaries and management of manipulative behaviours was useful for their placement. The majority of students would recommend the orientation package to other students. Suggestions for improvement included streamlining the resource to reduce the time to complete it. CONCLUSIONS: Asynchronous online simulation with the capacity for branched decision making and feedback along with a comprehensive online orientation package were perceived as useful to prepare undergraduate students for placement in the Prison Health Service work-integrated learning setting.

An Exploration of Student Nurses' Experiences of Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic Using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI).

Burnout amongst healthcare professionals has been a long-considered condition associated with the workplace environment. Student nurses studying at Sheffield Hallam University continued to engage in their training during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the stressors of this experience were anecdotally highlighted to their academic staff. Furthermore, burnout can be linked to the ongoing difficulties with recruitment and retention of nursing staff within the NHS workforce. This work aimed to determine the burnout among nursing students experience by obtaining quantitative data to understand their experiences. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to gauge levels of burnout across the different fields of nursing students. Results identified that: (1) mental health students reported feeling tired significantly less often than child and adult field students (mean rating of 69% versus 91.7% and 84.0%, respectively); (2) students aged 30-39 feel tired significantly less often than both younger student age groups (mean rating 59.4% versus 82.8% and 90.6%); (3) there was a significant difference in how often different age groups felt "tired of working with clients" (F(4) = 2.68, p = 0.04) and that "they couldn't take it anymore" (F(4) = 2.53, p = 0.05); (4) child-field students reported generally higher levels of global burnout (mean CBI total = 57.9%) whilst mental health students reported lower levels (mean CBI total = 54.1%). Considering these results, it is imperative for both higher education institutions and potential employers to consider the impact of COVID-19 and burnout, and the levels of support offered to student nurses during their training and transition to practice as newly qualified nurses.

Facilitating intergenerational learning between older people and student nurses: An integrative review.

AIM: To examine the literature on intergenerational learning between older people and student nurses. BACKGROUND: Intergenerational activities offer opportunities for intergenerational learning and help reduce ageism. There are several older person/school children intergenerational learning initiatives. However, there is less known about how intergenerational learning occurs in nurse education programmes outside of service provision. METHODS: Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) integrative review framework was used to guide the review process. Population, intervention, context and outcome (PICO) was used to develop the review question, search strategy and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Database (CINAHL, Cochrane library, Medline, PubMed, Scopus and PsychInfo) searches and hand searching occurred from 2012 to 2023. Screening, appraisal and data extraction was undertaken according to Prisma guidelines. RESULTS: Nine papers were included (North American (n = 5), Canadian (n = 1) Chinese (n = 2), Taiwanese (n = 1)). Mixed methods designs were included. Four themes were identified: 1) Seeing beyond first glance; 2) Connecting and getting to know each other; 3) Learning together; and 4) Challenges for intergenerational learning. CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates the relevance of intergenerational learning in nurse education and highlights the importance of embedding initiatives which will promote and support mutual learning. Innovative intergenerational initiatives enable students to explore their underlying attitudes and views in a way that they may not be able to in the more traditional service and care giving learning situations.

Entry to practice nursing students' experiences of debriefing during clinical practice: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this review were to identify, explore and synthesize existing evidence in the literature of nursing students' experiences of debriefing in their clinical practice placements. DESIGN: Qualitative meta-synthesis. DATA SOURCES: Databases included Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Education Resources Information Centre, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Scopus. Qualitative studies were considered for inclusion if published in English, reporting primary data analysis including experiences of nursing students. The final search was conducted on 22 October 2021, no time limit was applied. REVIEW METHODS: Qualitative studies were identified and appraised. Across the included studies, authors' themes and metaphors, and participant quotes were inductively analysed and interpreted, then expressed in the synthesis. RESULTS: Three new themes representing nursing students' experiences of debriefing were constructed. Theme one, 'It didn't happen formally, but I needed it', included students expressing the value of, and wanting to be involved in, debriefing to gain validation, reassurance, and guidance. Theme two, 'I had to release it and it helped' included students' positive experiences of debriefing with another student, nurse, or confidant, through various modalities. These experiences affirmed they were not alone in their feelings, which provided relief, confidence, and new ways of thinking and practicing. Theme three, 'Strengthened clinical experience and learning', included students feeling debriefing supported their awareness and understanding of practice and increased participation in clinical experiences. This awareness and understanding provided an opportunity for students to explore, and reflect on, the impact of patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Through debriefing student nurses found relief, confidence, and new ways of thinking through a shared understanding. Debriefing supported student learning and the clinical-academic education team had a key role in creating this opportunity.

Barriers and enablers to scholarship for post basic nursing students in clinical service.

BACKGROUND: Clinical scholarship is defined as an approach that enables evidence-based nursing and the development of best practices to meet the needs of clients efficiently and effectively. However, there are many barriers that impede its progress. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the barriers and enablers to scholarship for post basic nursing students in clinical service areas. METHOD: This multimethods study used a structured questionnaire followed by semi-structured individual interviews of post basic nursing students and their lecturers (nurse educators). RESULTS: The 81 students who completed the questionnaire indicated a lack of support or funding assistance and mentoring, as well as no mechanisms to reward or recognise scholarship as top barriers to clinical scholarship. Top enablers were noticed as reward mechanisms in place, more protected time and availability of role models and mentoring. Twelve respondents engaged in the qualitative phase and three categories emerged from the data, namely (1) resource dependent, (2) 'what's the use of research', (3) making a change. CONCLUSION: It has been shown that there is a need to adopt and promote a culture of clinical scholarship to ensure that the best available evidence is being utilised by nurses to effectively manage their patients; however, to support clinical scholarship, resources are needed.Contribution: This study highlighted the lack of funding and resources as being a major barrier to scholarship, together with an institutional culture that did not promote clinical scholarship. Providing protected time, mentoring and criteria for promotion and reward based on scholarship is viewed as enabling.

Death, dying and caring: exploring the student nurse experience of palliative and end-of-life education.

BACKGROUND: Undergraduate education and training are fundamental in preparing student nurses for working in palliative and end-of-life care. AIM: This article explores the experiences of student nurses in their palliative and end-of-life undergraduate nurse education. METHODOLOGY: Sandelowski and Barroso's (2007) framework for undertaking a metasynthesis was used. Initial database searches returned 60 articles of interest. Re-reading the articles in the context of the research question identified 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes emerged. FINDINGS: Student nurses voiced concerns regarding their feelings of unpreparedness, and lack of confidence and knowledge when dealing with the complexities of palliative and end-of-life care. Student nurses called for more training and education in palliative and end-of-life care. CONCLUSION: Flexible nursing curricula responsive to the needs of student nurses and the changing landscape of healthcare provision, including care to ensure a good death experience, should be prioritised at undergraduate level.

Experiences of Student Nurses Regarding Experiential Learning in Specialized Psychiatric Hospitals in South Africa, a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Experiential learning in specialized psychiatric hospitals is as essential as other learning in any discipline in nursing education as it allows student nurses to correlate theory to practice. Experiential learning in the mental health environment has been identified as a significant factor in promoting a more favorable attitude among student nurses toward mental health nursing. AIM: The study explored student nurses' personal experiences regarding experiential learning in specialized psychiatric hospitals. METHODS: A qualitative approach using explorative, descriptive, and contextual designs was used, and 51 student nurses were purposively sampled. Data were collected through six focus group interviews and analyzed using a thematic approach. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were also enhanced. Ethical considerations were adhered to throughout the study. RESULTS: One theme and four sub-themes on the experiences of student nurses regarding experiential learning in specialized psychiatric hospitals were revealed, namely: theme: personal factors; sub-themes: fear of mental healthcare users, anxiety about clinical assessment, lack of interest in psychiatric nursing science, and stress due to social problems. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, student nurses experience many things during experiential learning, including personal factors. A further qualitative study should be conducted on strategies to support student nurses during experiential learning in the specialized psychiatric hospitals of Limpopo Province.

Experiences of nurse educators regarding the use of the clinical skills laboratory at the School of Nursing in the Free State province.

Background: Integration of theory to practice by student nurses is a challenge in most training institutions accredited by the South African Nursing Council (SANC). Nurse educators require a fully equipped and functional clinical skills laboratory to impart clinical competency knowledge to student nurses. Aim: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of the nurse educators in teaching clinical skills to student nurses using the clinical skills laboratories. Setting: The study was conducted at the School of Nursing in the Free State province in 2021. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for the study. Unstructured one-on-one interviews were conducted with 17 nurse educators until data saturation was reached. Data were analysed thematically. Results: The three major themes that emerged during data analysis and were discussed to make recommendations of the study are as follows: clinical skills laboratory environment; human and material resources; financial constraints. Conclusion: This study revealed that there is a need for the use of the clinical skills laboratory by nurse educators to teach clinical practice to student nurses. Therefore, it is imperative that the study recommendations be considered for implementation to improve the use of the clinical skills laboratory. Contribution: The importance of integrating theory to practice by using the clinical skills laboratory during clinical practice teaching by nurse educators will be understood.

Student nurses' knowledge of and attitudes toward palliative care in the Middle East: an integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care is one of the most important areas of practice because it includes caring for vulnerable people who are mostly in their last stage of life. Palliative care is a relatively new specialty in the Middle East and little is known about student nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards it. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore students' knowledge of and attitudes towards palliative care in the Middle East, and to use the findings to make recommendations to higher education institutions about its importance. DESIGN: An integrative review following an established framework was used. Hawker's Assessment Tool was employed to evaluate the quality of the research articles. RESULTS: The search found seven quantitative studies from four countries in the Middle East. Their focus was on students' knowledge (n=5) and attitudes (n=2). The number of participants ranged from 110 to 452, with knowledge scores ranging from 5.23 to 8.0 out of 20 on all or part of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing. Students' attitudes were marginally positive toward palliative care and dying patients. CONCLUSION: There are few studies in the Middle East investigating student nurses' knowledge of and attitude toward palliative care; consequently, more attention needs to be given to this area of practice.

Psychiatric Clinical Placement: Agony for College Nursing Students in South Africa.

(1) Background: Clinical placements in psychiatric nursing science (PNS) are as important as other placements in any discipline in nursing education as they allow students to correlate theory to practice. Nursing students' absenteeism has become a grave concern in psychiatric institutions in South Africa. This study investigated the clinical factors leading to student nurses' absenteeism in the Limpopo College of Nursing during the psychiatric nursing science clinical placement. (2) Methods: A quantitative approach using a descriptive design was followed, where 206 students were purposively sampled. The study was conducted at the Limpopo College of Nursing situated in Limpopo Province, with five campuses offering a four-year nursing program. College campuses were used to access students since this was an easy way of accessing them. Data were collected through questionnaires of structured questions and analyzed using SPSS version 24. Ethical considerations were adhered to throughout. (3) Results: The correlation between clinical factors and absenteeism was determined. The main reported factors for absenteeism were student nurses being treated as a workforce in the clinical areas; shortage of staff in the clinical areas; inadequate supervision of student nurses by professional nurses; and being inconsiderate of student nurses requests for days off in the clinical area. (4) Conclusions: The findings revealed that student nurses' absenteeism is caused by different factors. The Department of Health should find a way of not overworking students due to a shortage of staff in the wards but consider them for experiential learning. A further qualitative study should be conducted to develop strategies to mitigate student nurses' absenteeism in psychiatric clinical placement.