Nursing And Midwifery Students’ Lived Experiences Of Faculty Caring And Uncaring Behaviours On Their Learning: A Phenomenology Study

Abstract

Background: A caring environment in nursing education is one of the most essential factors for empowering students, which is achieved through trust and open academic communication. Aim: To explore the experiences of faculty caring and uncaring behaviours on students learning from the perspective of university nursing and midwifery students. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was used to collect data from 10 nursing and midwifery students who were purposively selected at a baccalaureate nursing and midwifery school at a public university in Malawi. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from August 24th, 2015 to September 30th, 2015 and analysed using Colaizzi’s (1978) method. Ethical considerations were followed. Results: Two sub-themes which emerged under the main theme of experiences of faculty caring behaviours which were: (1) Increased motivation (2) Increased confidence and Competence, whilst three sub-themes which emerged under the main theme of experiences of faculty uncaring behaviours were: (1) Poor performance (2) A risk to patients (3) Feeling helpless and embarrassed. Conclusion: Experiences of students with caring and uncaring faculty had an influence on students learning, personal well-being and on their ability to effectively care for their patients. The study recommends that faculty members should critically analyse their actions and embrace those caring behaviours that facilitate the process of creating a conducive learning environment. In addition, there is need to develop a clear policy stipulating the role of student personal advisors and how students can engage them