What Nursing Students Hope from Clinical Mistakes

Abstract

  Background: Nursing students are vulnerable to committing mistakes in clinical practice due to various factors. These factors include the quality of supervision received and interpersonal dynamics. This study examined students’ expectations if they make mistakes during clinical placement. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study design was employed in this study. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit twelve undergraduate nursing students, and semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2022 and December 2022. A thematic analysis strategy was utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Three themes were identified, namely: (1) The importance of supervision, (2) A dedicated clinical mentor, and (3) The value of reflective practice. Conclusion: The study showed that most nursing students emphasised the importance of clinical supervision from experienced nurses to handle clinical mistakes effectively. The findings emphasised the crucial role of the clinical mentor’s presence during the students’ clinical tasks. Furthermore, the students also expressed the significance of the student’s continued engagement in reflective practice