Experiences of nursing students at Kamuzu College of Nursing in the provision of compassionate care, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Date
2017-01-01
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Abstract
Over the recent years, there has been a general public concern that compassionate care
is lacking in nursing, leading to poor health care outcomes. In response to the plethora of
reported negative patient experiences relating to lack of compassionate care, professional
drivers in nursing have been requested to re-endorse the concept of compassion as a core and underpinning philosophy, fundamental to the profession. Literature has shown that student nurses do provide compassionate care. However, this is not reflected in their practice when they qualify. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of nursing students in providing compassionate care at KCN, Malawi. A qualitative narrative study was conducted among 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students at KCN, a constituent college of the University of Malawi. Purposive sampling method was used to recruit twelve participants for the study. Using a semi-structured interview guide, individual in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data while analysis was done using thematic analysis. Clearance from COMREC and consent from participants were obtained prior to data collection. Findings revealed that there is lack of compassionate care in Malawian nursing practice, however, students are knowledgeable of the concept of compassionate care before graduating. Additionally, it was revealed that both theory and practice play a role in cultivating a culture of compassionate care. Furthermore, the study revealed that stories of lecturers caring experiences and working with positive role models in clinical practice facilitates development of compassionate care while lack of support systems in practice and harsh experiences during training hinders development and provision of compassionate care. This calls for professional drivers in nursing like nurse educators and managers to emphasize the need for compassion in nursing training and practice. Recommendations are made for nurse educators, curriculum planners, clinical staff and the regulatory body on their role in promoting compassionate care. More studies need to be conducted on what compassionate care entails within Malawian culture and how it can be nurtured and measured in nursing education.