Content Analysis of Reflective Journals Following a Hospice-Palliative Care Practicum in Nursing Students

The purpose of this study is to understand the nursing students' experiences and meaning in hospice-palliative care practicum. The subjects of the study were 60 nursing students enrolled at I University in city I who took the ‘Hospice Palliative Nursing Practicum’ course and did their practice at a hospice-palliative care centers. The data were collected twice from May 8, 2023 to June 14, 2024. The data were collected through a reflective journals written by the research participants, in which they wrote about their experiences in the practice, and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. As a result of the analysis, categories and meaningful statements were derived. As a result of the analysis, 5 categories and 18 themes were derived. The experiences of nursing students in hospice and palliative care training were divided into five categories: ‘embodying the meaning and value of hospice’, ‘establishing a role as a prospective medical professional’, ‘accepting death from various perspectives’, ‘rediscovering life’, and ‘time for self-reflection and growth’. The research results showed that through hospice palliative care practice, nursing students went beyond negative thoughts about death and difficulties in practicum and developed a positive attitude toward life and living through contemplation on the essence of human existence, which became an opportunity for their internal maturity and establishment of their roles as prospective nurses.