Nursing Students' Approach to Child Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore nursing students' experiences and challenges during their clinical practice with pediatric patients who had undergone surgery, with particular attention to the meanings they attributed to these experiences.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate nursing students studying at a foundation university in Türkiye. Interviews lasted approximately 15 to 20 minutes and focused on students' clinical experiences, emotional responses, communication processes, perceived challenges, and educational needs in pediatric surgical care. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's approach with the support of MAXQDA 2022.

FINDINGS: The analysis identified six interrelated themes reflecting students' experiences in pediatric surgical care, including professional satisfaction through witnessing recovery, challenges in pain and fear management, communication strategies adapted to developmental level, the theory-practice gap, ethical dilemmas, and emotional burden. Students reported that observing children's recovery was motivating, while managing pain, fear, and family anxiety posed significant challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students' experiences in pediatric surgical settings reflect both learning opportunities and contextual challenges that shape their professional development. The findings highlight the importance of structured, practice-based educational strategies focusing on pain and fear management, developmentally appropriate communication, family-centered care, ethical decision-making, and emotional support for students.