Nursing Student Experiences of Caring for Burned Patient: From Fearfulness to Normalization

OBJECTIVE. To describe the care experiences of students in burn units. METHODS. Qualitative research of the phenomenological descriptive type which was conducted with the participation of eight senior nursing students in Shiraz College of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran. The method used for gathering data about Student experiences in Care Services for Burn Cases was the individual semi-structured interview. The Colaizzi method was used for analysing and interpreting the data. RESULTS. Three main themes emerged: the attractive but stressful experience, trying to adjust and metamorphosis in attitude. Taking care of burned patients led to metamorphosis and adaptation to the requirements of burn care due to the students’ improved attitudes, awareness and potentials. This finally turned the stressful nature of taking care of a burn patient into an attractive experience for them. CONCLUSION. Students with little clinical experience of stressful working situations in burn units faced different challenges. Due to the specific nature of taking care of burned patients, the clinical experiences of nursing students who offer these services are unique.