Why do Nursing Students Avoid Oncology for Nursing Field Placement Post-graduation? An Undergraduate Experience in Descriptive Content Analysis
Disciplines
Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Significant progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment underscores the demand for oncology nurses and accentuates the nursing shortage. Lack of staffing strains experienced nurses causing them to have the highest turnover rates of all cancer clinicians, impacting patient outcomes. Oncology nurses play a vital role in providing comprehensive care, addressing medical, emotional, spiritual, and educational needs. Years of reluctance of prelicensure students pursuing the oncology field post-graduation exacerbates the nursing crisis. Understanding the reasons behind student avoidance is crucial for developing strategies to attract and retain nurses in the oncology field. The primary objective of this research was to identify and analyze factors contributing to nursing students’ aversion to oncology as field placement following graduation. The aim was to gain insights into student perceptions and prior experiences that may influence field choice. Qualitative interviews were conducted in the parent study involving 30 prelicensure nursing students from different educational degree programs nationwide. Interviews explored students’ opinions, experiences, and knowledge regarding oncology nursing. A descriptive content analysis was employed to meet study objectives. Three prominent categorical themes each with 3-4 sub-categories emerged from the data analysis: ‘Emotions in Care’ encompassing fear, emotionally draining, and unknown emotional resilience; ‘Perceptions of the Disease’ included death, depressing, stigma, and boring work environment; and ‘Prior Experience’ consisting of a lack of education, lack of clinical exposure, complexity of cancer topic, and personal experience. Because most nursing student perceptions of the oncology field are compromised by lack of accurate information contributing to negativity of the specialty, educators need to improve education and mentorship to encourage students to consider oncology as a rewarding field placement post-graduation. Offering prelicensure oncology education can increase the quality of care of future patients with cancer, ultimately improving patient outcomes in oncology settings.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Tracy Ruegg
Why do Nursing Students Avoid Oncology for Nursing Field Placement Post-graduation? An Undergraduate Experience in Descriptive Content Analysis
Significant progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment underscores the demand for oncology nurses and accentuates the nursing shortage. Lack of staffing strains experienced nurses causing them to have the highest turnover rates of all cancer clinicians, impacting patient outcomes. Oncology nurses play a vital role in providing comprehensive care, addressing medical, emotional, spiritual, and educational needs. Years of reluctance of prelicensure students pursuing the oncology field post-graduation exacerbates the nursing crisis. Understanding the reasons behind student avoidance is crucial for developing strategies to attract and retain nurses in the oncology field. The primary objective of this research was to identify and analyze factors contributing to nursing students’ aversion to oncology as field placement following graduation. The aim was to gain insights into student perceptions and prior experiences that may influence field choice. Qualitative interviews were conducted in the parent study involving 30 prelicensure nursing students from different educational degree programs nationwide. Interviews explored students’ opinions, experiences, and knowledge regarding oncology nursing. A descriptive content analysis was employed to meet study objectives. Three prominent categorical themes each with 3-4 sub-categories emerged from the data analysis: ‘Emotions in Care’ encompassing fear, emotionally draining, and unknown emotional resilience; ‘Perceptions of the Disease’ included death, depressing, stigma, and boring work environment; and ‘Prior Experience’ consisting of a lack of education, lack of clinical exposure, complexity of cancer topic, and personal experience. Because most nursing student perceptions of the oncology field are compromised by lack of accurate information contributing to negativity of the specialty, educators need to improve education and mentorship to encourage students to consider oncology as a rewarding field placement post-graduation. Offering prelicensure oncology education can increase the quality of care of future patients with cancer, ultimately improving patient outcomes in oncology settings.