Student nurses' experiences of the clinical psychiatric learning environment in an education institution

Abstract

This study investigated lived experiences of student nurses working in a clinical psychiatric learning environment in South Africa. Participants were 29 fourth-year student nurses in the clinical psychiatric learning environment at a nursing education institution (females = 27; males =2). They engaged in focus group discussion on their experiences of the clinical psychiatric learning environment. The data were thematically analyzed using Tesch’s method of open coding. The student nurses experienced the environment as growth enhancing on a professional and personal level.