Attitudes toward clinical practice in undergraduate nursing students: A Q methodology study

Background: Clinical practice (CP) provides an opportunity to directly apply nursing theories learned in class to practice, with the aim of improving nursing knowledge and skills. Nursing students' perspectives about CP can be diverse.

Objective: To identify nursing students' attitudes toward CP.

Design: Q-methodology, an integration of quantitative and qualitative methods, was used.

Participants: A convenience P-sample consisting of 43 second-year undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: Forty-three selected Q-statements from each of the 43 participants (P-sample) were classified into the shape of a normal distribution using a 9-point bipolar scale. The collected data were analyzed using the pc-QUANL program.

Results: Two discrete factors emerged. Factor I comprised a querulous attitude with a critical perspective. Factor II comprised an enthusiastic attitude with a future-oriented perspective.

Conclusion: The subjective viewpoints of the two identified factors can be applied in planning effective CP for nursing students.