Challenges of Nursing Students during Their Study: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Several studies have recommended revisions in educational programs based on learners' feedbacks and needs. This study was performed with the aim of exploring and describing the meaning of challenges and feelings experienced by nursing students during their study. Methods: This qualitative study was performed as phenomenology on 20 senior nursing students selected by purposeful sampling method. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were used for data gathering. Data was analyzed by the team of researchers using hermeneutic analysis method. Results: Findings were categorized into three major themes including challenge of "integrating knowledge and practice" with minor themes of employing theory in practice, using nursing procedure, and following scientific principles in clinic, the challenge of "management of learning environment" with the minor themes of environmental factors' effect on students' learning, causes of hopelessness and disappointment with nurses, preference in evaluation, deficiencies of educational programming, and lack of respecting patients' rights and privileges, and the challenge of "lack of community's respect to the value of nursing" with the minor themes including recognizing stَAuts of nursing discipline, and the necessity for its revision, attitude of individuals and society toward nursing and limited independence of nursing. Conclusion: Interviewing students provided an insight into the challenges of educational environment which students had faced, during their study. Using the results of this study, nursing educators could build a positive and stimulating environment for students' learning and motivate them to maintain their interest in education and learning.