Perceptions of Clinical Trials among Nursing Students: Q methodology

This study aimed to identify the types of perceptions of clinical trials among nursing students. Q-methodology focusing on individual subjectivity was used with data collected from March 2021 to March 2022. Thirty-two Q-statements were selected and scored by the 36 participants on a 9-point scale with normal distribution. The data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. A total of 36 nursing students were classified into 3 types based on the following viewpoints: ‘Conditional participation-considered type’, ‘Social contribution-oriented type’, ‘Medical basis-oriented type’. The 3 types accounted for 59.02% of the total variance. Individual contributions of type 1,2, and 3 were 48.63%, 5.97%, and 4.42%, respectively. The major contribution of this study is the clarification of nursing students’ subjective perception of clinical trials. These findings can serve as a useful strategies to raise awareness of the necessity and importance of clinical trials.