Exploring the Challenges Faced by Nursing Internship Students in Trauma Wards: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study

Introduction: Clinical education in trauma wards presents unique challenges for nursing internship students, which can adversely affect their learning outcomes and professional development. Understanding these challenges is critical to enhancing the quality of nursing education and student preparedness. This study aimed to explain the challenges faced by nursing internship students in trauma departments of hospitals not affiliated with Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences.Method: Seventeen participants, including ۱۲ nursing trainees (mean age ۲۲.۳ years) and five clinical instructors (mean age ۴۲.۴ years), were purposively sampled to achieve maximum diversity. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in Tehran from September ۲۰۲۴ to December ۲۰۲۴. Conventional content analysis was conducted using the Graneheim and Lundman approach and MAXQDA version ۱۰ software to identify categories and subcategories reflecting the participants' experiences.Result: In this study, ۱۲ nursing students with a mean age of ۲۲.۳ and ۵ nursing instructors with a mean age of ۴۲.۴ were identified. Their experiences of trauma ward challenges were categorized into three main categories and seven subcategories. The main categories included psychological factors with two subcategories: fear and stress of violence and high workload; organizational factors with three subcategories: irregular shuttle service, lack of staff familiarity with event recording objectives, inadequate facilities and equipment; and educational factors with two subcategories: poor collaboration between nursing staff and students, and limited time available.Conclusion:  Nursing trainees in trauma units face multifaceted psychological, organizational, and educational challenges that hinder optimal clinical learning. Addressing these challenges requires targeted interventions such as improving clinical staff awareness of students' educational goals, ensuring adequate resources, strengthening supportive relationships between staff and students, and optimizing logistical arrangements. Such measures can improve the clinical learning environment and better prepare students for professional roles in trauma care. Given that the study was conducted in selected trauma units affiliated with non-university hospitals in Tehran, the study's findings cannot be generalized to other healthcare settings.

کلیدواژه ها:

Nursing students ، Trauma Ward ، content analysis