Factors Affecting the Belongingness Sense of Undergraduate Nursing Students towards Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: One of the most important needs of the students to work reliably in the clinical setting is the feeling of belongingness. Understanding and recognizing such a distinguishing feature among students can reduce their stress and tension. The current research aimed at studying the experiences of belongingness among nursing students in clinical settings. Methods: In this conventional content analysis study, 12 nursing students were selected from Lorestan University of Medical Sciences by purposive method. In-depth interviews were employed to collect data. All interviews were recorded and transcribed for analyses. Data collection and analysis were carried out at the same time. Results: The nature of belongingness with respect to clinical setting was expressed and classified in five themes and 11 subthemes. Five concepts (themes), which constituted the nature of nursing students' experiences, were as follows: moving in the direction of evolvement, attention to human and ethical values, professional integrity, achieving inner satisfaction, and the environment conformity with learner. Conclusion: The issue of belongingness and its promotion are of utmost importance. The clinical staff, including head nurses and nurses, must perform their roles properly in providing supportive and facilitative clinical environment, positive and constructive interactions, and professional development contexts for students, so that they feel being accepted and valued.