Opinions of Undergraduate Nursing Students on Their Community Health Nursing Experiences: School Placements

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed to explore the opinions of undergraduate nursing students on their experiences in school placement. This practicum focused on the primary schools, located in the Bangkok Administration Metropolitan, organized under Ministry of Education. One hundred and six of the 4th year nursing students studying during the 2017 academic year at the College of Nursing and Health of Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University were employed for participation using the purposive sampling technique. The research instruments consisted of three parts: 1) personal information, 2) respondents’ opinions of their community nursing practicum experiences, a part of the school health setting, and 3) open-ended questions on the school health nursing practicum. Data were analyzed using percentages, means, and standard deviations. Most respondents were women (86.8 %), with a range age of 20-23 years and grade point average (GPA) of 3.06 ± 0.29. This study indicated the positive agree of the opinion toward nursing skills practice in the school placements likewise the assumption. The results of this study reveal undergraduate nursing students’ opinions on the community health nursing practicum a part of school health. After students completed their clinical practice, the practicum was undertaken in the school’s curricular requirements. Further studies should compare these results with those from clinical placements in the greater areas of Bangkok.