Obstetric care learning, experience of nursing students in the clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical practice is a modular element within the formation of nursing professionals, and this care learning is structured through an individual process which is influenced by the specific context and its determinants.

Objective: To determine the sense and pedagogical importance of the educational phenomena lived by students in their obstetric care learning process.

Method: This is a qualitative-descriptive study with a phenomenological and interpretative focus. Eight in-depth interviews were performed on students of the seventh semester of a Baccalaureate in Nursing and Obstetrics program. Topic-content analysis was used. Significant concepts were pointed out, and diverse identifiers were assigned to different categories. The validation of the results is founded on the criteria of credibility, confirmability, transferability, and trustworthiness.

Results: The exploration of nursing students in their pregnant women care learning process allowed us to acknowledge a “Praxis at Learning” category with 2 sub-categories: a) building of knowledge in the transformation practice; and b) maintenance of motivation, initiative, and confidence. Indeed, the individual builds knowledge from the interaction with the physical and social surrounding; where he/she applies and adjusts his/her cognitive capacities and skills.

Conclusions: The desire for learning drives persons to procure acquiring knowledge, skills, and values which they will eventually put into practice in diverse environments. The impulse and interest for learning on a specific area of interest will be the motivation to deepen into the pleasure of acquiring more knowledge and skills.