Senior Nursing Students' Perceptions of Their Effectiveness in the Utilization of De-escalation Techniques: A Phenomenological Study

This qualitative phenomenological study explored senior nursing students’ perceptions of their effectiveness in utilizing de-escalation techniques. The theories that guided this study were Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Kolb’s experiential learning theory. Self-efficacy is one’s ability to organize, conduct, and successfully perform a task. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory focuses on individuals’ perception of their ability to perform a task, not the action’s result. Kolb’s theory emphasizes that learning is a process, and modifying experiences creates knowledge. The participants for this study were senior nursing students from two medium-sized universities in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A sample of 11 senior nursing students between the ages of 18 and 29 was used for the study. The interviewing questions, document analysis, and observations addressed the personal experiences of senior nursing students and how they utilized de-escalation techniques. Van Manen’s method of data analysis, which reflects on essential themes that constitute participants’ experiences, was used to analyze data. Four themes emerged from this study: (a) development of knowledge, (b) experiences with de-escalation techniques, (c) emotions and challenges, and (d) clinical learning significance. Senior nursing students shared similar perceptions of their use of de-escalation techniques. They also had similar suggestions for future students’ de-escalation learning needs.