Negative emotional experiences of nursing students during clinical practice: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

AIM: To synthesise qualitative evidence on nursing students' negative emotional experiences during clinical practice and explore how these experiences are interpreted and managed within clinical learning environments.

BACKGROUND

Clinical learning environments may expose nursing students to emotionally demanding situations, particularly during early clinical encounters. Negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, helplessness and perceived inadequacy may affect students' learning, well-being and professional development when insufficiently supported.

DESIGN

A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science. Qualitative studies published in English or Turkish that explored nursing students' emotional experiences in clinical settings were included. Twenty primary qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were analysed using inductive thematic synthesis guided by Sandelowski and Barroso's meta-synthesis framework. Methodological quality was appraised using the JBI-QARI checklist. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251246682).

RESULTS

Four overarching themes were identified: (1) Experienced negative emotions, (2) Sources of negative emotions, (3) Coping strategies for negative emotions and (4) Consequences of negative emotional experiences. The synthesis showed nursing students' emotional vulnerability in clinical environments, alongside individual and contextual factors influencing their adaptive responses.

CONCLUSION

Negative emotional experiences represent one important dimension of nursing students' clinical learning. When unsupported, these experiences may hinder well-being, confidence and learning engagement; however, when appropriately acknowledged through emotional support, reflective learning and structured mentorship, they may also contribute to self-awareness, emotional resilience and professional development.