The effect of practicums in nursing homes on nursing student abilities to care for the elderly
AUTHORS
Young Ran Chin,College of Nursing/Chungwoon University
Sa Saeng Hyeon,Korea Nazarene University
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of practicums in nursing homes on the ability of nursing students to care for the elderly. This research is a pre-experimental study, utilizing a one-group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were 151 nursing students of South Korea in their third and fourth years who were engaged in a structured 5-day nursing practicum. Researchers, the professors of three nursing colleges, and the president and the nursing manager of the nursing home had developed the practicum program based on previous research on the experiences of nursing students after a practicum at nursing homes and factors affecting such practicum. After the subjects had finished their nursing practicum in a nursing home, they showed a statistically significant higher general awareness of the elderly (paired t=-7.47, p<.001), an improved attitude towards geriatric nursing (paired-t=-10.93, p<.001), and more desirable nursing intervention behaviors (paired-t=-9.41, p<.001) than before the study. Based on this research outcomes, nursing homes can be considered a useful location for practical training for those pursuing careers in gerontological nursing as well as in improving care-giving skills toward the elderly.
KEYWORDS
nursing student, nursing homes, clinical placements, learning environment
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