Exploring nursing students’ perspectives on disability through campus accessibility evaluation: a phenomenological study

BACKGROUND: Inclusive nursing education plays a crucial role in preparing future healthcare professionals to recognise and respond to the needs of persons with disabilities. Evaluating real-life environments, such as university campuses, may help students develop a deeper understanding of disability and reflect on their own attitudes and approaches to care. This study explores nursing students' lived experiences during a campus accessibility evaluation activity to understand how they perceive and interpret disability within this context. METHODS: A descriptive phenomenological design was utilized, focusing not on the evaluation of the educational activity's effectiveness, but on exploring the students' subjective experiences of assessing a university campus's accessibility for persons with disabilities. Participants were 19 undergraduate nursing students (15 females, 4 males). Data were collected through three semi-structured focus group discussions. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological analysis method. Rigour was ensured through member checking, researcher reflexivity, and the maintenance of an audit trail. FINDINGS: Analysis revealed three main themes reflecting students' experiential learning and evolving perspectives. (1) Contribution to the Level of Knowledge: Students reported gaining new insights into disability, uncovering previously overlooked environmental barriers, and recognising the multifaceted nature of accessibility. The experience fostered shifts in their understanding of disability beyond theoretical knowledge. (2) Contribution to the Affective Domain: Students described heightened emotional awareness, increased empathy, and a deeper sensitivity to the daily challenges encountered by persons with disabilities. Many expressed that the activity prompted personal reflection and transformed their perceptions of disability. (3) Contribution to Nursing Care: Students highlighted the importance of advocating for inclusive practices, taking initiative in supporting persons with disabilities, and adopting a more holistic and person-centred approach in future clinical encounters. They emphasised the relevance of accessibility evaluations to their ethical and professional responsibilities. CONCLUSION: Participating in a campus accessibility evaluation meaningfully guided nursing students' understanding of disability and was perceived to foster the development of empathy, awareness, and inclusive care perspectives. The findings suggest that integrating experiential activities focused on accessibility into nursing education may strengthen students' readiness to provide equitable, person-centred care to persons with disabilities. Such approaches have the potential to enhance both professional identity formation and advocacy within nursing practice.