Emotional and Psychological Experiences of Nursing students caring for Dying Patients: A phenomenology study at Mulago National Hospital, Uganda

Abstract Introduction: Caring for dying patients is associated with psychological trauma, strong emotions and enormous stress for nursing staff and nursing students who are relied on by patients and relatives in such difficult situations. Although nurses have an ability of self-control and calm approach towards death, there are still some emotions they need to “work through”. Research studies have documented limited exposure of nursing students to end-of-life care and inadequate understanding of the psychological and emotional experiences they encounter during clinical placements. This study explored the psychological and emotional experiences of Ugandan student nurses on caring for the dying patients at Mulago national referral hospital during clinical placement. Methods A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted among fifteen undergraduate nursing students of Makerere University in clinical placement at Mulago hospital. An In-depth interview guide was used to gather data on nursing students’ emotional and psychological experiences and coping mechanisms. Data was audio recorded, verbatim transcribed and thematically analyzed using Atlas. ti version 6 software. Results The nursing students emotional and psychological experiences when caring for dying patients were emerged into two themes; (1) Psychological and emotional reactions, (2) Coping mechanisms. The sub themes were; anger, anxiety and depression which is triggered by a combination of issues of pressure from relatives, failure to save the dying patient, thoughts of wasted efforts to reverse the dying process, limited resources, limited technical and emotional support. The students cope by seeking help from peers, engagement in problem solving, distancing from patients, spirituality and engaging in personal stress reducing activities. Conclusion Insights from this study provide educators with a snapshot of student encounters, emotions, and coping strategies when facing dying patients and their families. Nursing students experience various negative emotional and psychological stressors triggered by a combination of issues that need to be addressed during care of dying patients. However, they devise different coping mechanisms to continue with provision of necessary end of life care as the clinical placement contributes to their learning, experience and builds confidence among student nurses.