Nursing Students' Perception of Holistic Care: Metaphor Study

Objective: Holistic care contains many concepts in its essence. Nursing students' awareness of this concept is an important factor that directly affects the quality of care of healthy and sick individuals. Accordingly, the metaphorical perceptions of 3rd-grade nursing students about holistic care were analysed in this study. Material and Methods: This study, conducted using a metaphor analysis technique based on the phenomenological method, was carried out with 120 nursing students. The data were collected through a face-to-face questionnaire in the classroom environment. The students were asked to complete the sentence ''Holistic care is like ......................, because .......................'' and their metaphorical perceptions were determined. The data obtained were analysed in numbers and percentages, and 5- stage content analysis was performed in the evaluation of metaphors. Results: A total of 45 different metaphors were produced by the students and the most frequently used ones were whole, jigsaw puzzle, family, baby care, cake, human body, orchestra, life style and mother. These metaphors were analysed under 5 categories: inclusive, commitment, requirement, depth and professionalism. Conclusion: The findings of the study show that nursing students develop awareness of the concept of holistic care. The importance of multidisciplinary approach is also emphasised in the metaphors emphasising the holistic approach of the individual. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen the contents related to holistic care in nursing education and to examine the subject more extensively with different sample groups.