Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: December | Volume: 6 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 180-183
A Qualitative Study for the Review of Opinions from Freshman Nursing Students Regarding Peer Support in Clinical Education
Handenur Başaran1, FatmaTanrıkulu1, Yurdanur Dikmen2
1M.Sc. Research Assistant, 2PhD & Associate Professor
Department of Nursing, School of Health, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey.
Corresponding Author: Handenur Başara
ABSTRACT
Background: This study was carried out to determine the opinions of freshman nursing students who started clinical practices for the first time regarding peer education applied in the clinical practice.
Methodology: Carried out in qualitative fashion, this study was conducted with freshmen students from Sakarya University Health High School. A semi-structured form of interview was used to collect data. Opinions from the students regarding the peer education method were evaluated by using the Colaizzi’s (1978) qualitative research analysis method. Interviews were completed with a total of 25 students in two focus group interviews.
Results: The interviews made with the students were reviewed by the researchers and interviews were classified under four categories and eight sub-themes. These categories were determined as “Education Programme”, “Learning Environment”, “Educational Exchange”, and “Communication”. The freshman students highlighted that with the peer education method, they have developed their knowledge and skills during clinical practice, they feel safe in nursing practices, they are braver, they are able to cement their nursing knowledge, and they had an idea of how to use such information in clinical practice. In addition, some students have specified that working with a peer increases their anxieties and that this situation degrades their motivation, adding that they had concerns regarding the sufficiency of the knowledge of their peers.
Conclusion: As a result, it has been determined that the implementation of peer support in clinical practice in the nursing education makes different contributions with regards to the students.
Key words: Nursing education, clinical education, peer support.