“My Friends are at the Bottom of My Schedule”: A Qualitative Study on Social Health among Nursing Students during Clinical Placement

Abstract

Clinical placement is an essential component for nursing students, allowing them to transfer professional knowledge into practice. The quality of life among nursing students and nurses was reviewed to examine its impact on the quality of provided care. However, it is unclear how social health among nursing students is affected during clinical placement. Final-year students who had finished clinical placement were invited to participate in this qualitative study. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. Two main themes, i.e., contributors to lack of social health, and manifestations of lack of social health, emerged from seven sub-themes. Students experienced different challenges during the clinical placement, but some of these did contribute to effects on their social health. Lack of social health might further influence career development after graduation. Supportive strategies from colleagues, nursing colleges and hospitals might potentially improve students’ social health during the clinical placement.