The aim of this study was to explore the student nurses’ experience of feeling inclined to self-harm during their clinical practicum. A phenomenological approach was used. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit student nurses, who inclined to self-harm during their clinical practicum, from three universities in Taiwan. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained before collecting data. Fifteen student nurses were interviewed to reach data saturation. Data were collected in 2023 and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method. Four themes surfaced in the findings. The first theme was the attacks of pressure from multiple clinical practicum, such as pressure from clinical nursing teachers, pressure from assignments and homework, pressure from clinical environment. The second theme was physical and mental torture, including physical discomfort, psychological pain, and negative thinking. The third theme was self-destructive behavior, including inclined to self-harm, methods of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. The fourth theme was coping behaviors, including catharsis, changing situations to adjust to pressure, looking for help, and self-strengthening. The findings could help raise the awareness of lecturers and students by understanding student nurses’ experience of feeling inclined to self-harm and facilitating healthy preparation for their clinical practicum and consequently help reduce potential self-harm experiences during their clinical practicum.

Authors:
Fan-Ko Sun, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Fan-Ko Sun is a professor in Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University in Taiwan. Her specialties are qualitative research, psychiatric nursing, suicide care, nursing education.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fan-Ko-Sun

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