Experiences of BSN Students at a Faith-Based University with Courses Related to Caring
[Thesis]
Busteed, Kerri J.
Bronner, Julia
Capella University
2020
120
Ph.D.
Capella University
2020
Nursing students will often identify wanting to be a caring nurse upon graduation. The purpose of the basic qualitative research study was to gain insight into how junior nursing students at a Midwestern faith-based university defined caring in nursing. Twelve face-to-face interviews were conducted to learn if students could identify concepts studied in their faith-based and humanities courses which aided them in creating their own definition of caring. Students were then asked how they perceived providing spiritual care and if they believed spirituality was an appropriate method of comforting a patient at the bedside. The research identified two main themes with two subthemes. Students acknowledged their humanities and faith-based courses as influential in defining caring. The courses helped them identify spirituality as an important aspect of caring as demonstrated through behaviors such as listening, sitting at the bedside, family presence, and music. The data then identified caring as intertwined with physical and holistic care. The second theme found role modeling by faculty and staff enhanced caring behaviors. Students described experiences including advisors providing time to listen to their concerns, participating in volunteer work alongside faculty, encouragement by clinical instructors, and observing the behaviors of staff nurses as influential in their ability to provide a caring atmosphere for their patients. Humanities courses and faith-based courses which provide insight into cultural diversity, ethics, religious practices, sociology, and psychology have shown to be an effective method of providing students foundational concepts in defining caring. Differentiating between religion and spirituality may provide students insight into how they could provide spiritual care to their patients without concern for specific religious practices and beliefs.