Volume 52, May–June 2024, Pages 94-101Author links open overlay panel, Highlights•

Students' first medication administration is stressful for them and for faculty.

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Faculty should bridge the gap for students between theory and practice.

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Clinical faculty need more support to optimize the learning experience.

AbstractBackground

Learning medication administration is essential for nursing students, but the first time can be stressful and shape their clinical development. Previous research primarily focused on student knowledge and technical aspects.

Purpose

This phenomenological study helped explore the lived experiences of nursing students and faculty during student's first medication administration in the clinical setting to gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with female student and faculty informants (N = 12). Using a phenomenological study, data were analyzed using van Manen's hermeneutic six-step research activity method.

Results

Five overarching themes were found: administrating medication, (un)preparedness for complexities in the clinical environment, transformative experience, overcoming fears, and reaping the rewards.

Conclusion

First-time medication experiences are greater than an exercise in skill proficiency and may be improved if faculty provides more structured learning experiences and take sufficient time for student preparation in relating medication knowledge to the skill, technology usage, and supporting students' attitudes toward nurse-patient interactions. These are essential aspects of the medication administration learning process as nursing programs shift toward competency-based education. Clinical faculty also need support in their role as educators and to be facilitated to find this time, considering their multiple responsibilities.

Section snippetsLiterature review

The importance of safe medication administration is undeniable, as errors in medication administration can have life-threatening consequences. However, this task is often made challenging due to the demanding clinical environment, where nurses frequently face interruptions and need to multitask (Yen et al., 2018). This means that excellent education of nursing students in medication administration is key. However, Fusco et al. (2021) found that senior Bachelor of Science nursing students did

Methods

A qualitative study was carried out with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. This approach is identified as helpful for investigating lived experiences of participants in the clinical practice setting (Santiago et al., 2020). Hermeneutic phenomenology interprets phenomena as they present themselves to the consciousness and deepens our understanding of the meaning of everyday experiences (Santiago et al., 2020; Van Manen, 1997). Van Manen's (1997) hermeneutic phenomenological method was

Ethical considerations

The Pace University Institutional Review Board (IRBNet ID No. 1688678-1) granted ethical approval. All electronic data was password-protected and encrypted. Each participant was assigned an alias on all transcripts to protect their confidentiality. They are numbered in the results section, using an S for student and F for faculty informants. Informants consented to participate and were informed of their rights as volunteers.

Results

Five essential themes, with subthemes, were found in the analysis of the student and faculty informants' data, as demonstrated in Table 3.

Discussion

This study further validates previous findings regarding student challenges in medication administration. These include knowledge gaps, emotional strain, fear of errors, and reliance on faculty support (Betts, 2016; Krautscheid et al., 2011). We analyzed if the route of medication administration affected the results, but it did not. We further highlight the disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical application during the first experience. The nursing education shift toward

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study reaffirms the complexities of the first medication administration experience for students. Our findings highlight the disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical application, underscoring the need for faculty development that fosters a supportive learning environment. By embracing the entrustment process and competency-based education principles, faculty can equip students with the critical thinking, communication, and technology skills necessary for safe

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Cindy Paradiso: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft. Joanne Knoesel: Writing – review & editing.

Declaration of competing interest

None.

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