Nursing students experiences in neonatal care: A qualitative study

Clinical practice is a moment of stress for nursing students with impact in academic outcomes. Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) are a specific and multifaceted context that offer complex experiences to nursing students. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and observational study, with a qualitative approach was outlined that aimed to describe and categorize the experiences of nursing students in NICU. Semi structured interviews were used for data collection and content analysis for data analysis. Among eligible students (those that had performed clinical practice in NICU and agreed to participate) a purposive sample of 6 students was selected. Data analysis allowed the identification of five categories: clinical practice evolution, expectations about clinical practice, challenges faced in clinical practice, feelings for the babies and their parents, and comparing with the adult nursing clinical practice. The findings of this study indicate that nursing students experienced a wide range of feelings and experiences.