Experiences of Intern Nurses Returning From Distance Education to Clinical Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9609066 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1365-2753 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13561294 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Eval Clin Pract Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Oxford, England : Wiley-Blackwell, c1995-

COVID-19*/epidemiology ; COVID-19*/nursing ; Education, Distance*/organization & administration ; Internship and Residency*; Humans ; Qualitative Research ; Female ; Adult ; Male ; Focus Groups ; Pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Middle Aged ; Attitude of Health Personnel

Rationale: The present study aimed to understand the experiences of intern nurses returning to clinical practice after a year-long distance education during the pandemic.
Methods: The study was conducted using the qualitative content analysis method. The participants were 32 intern nurses. The data included specific narratives on the experience of intern nurses returning from distance education to clinical practice during the pandemic. Data were collected through a total of four focus group interviews. Data analysis was conducted using an inductive qualitative analysis approach.
Results: The content analysis identified three main categories. The category 'Feelings during Clinical Practice' included the subcategories 'fear', 'uncertainty' and 'intolerance'. The category 'Challenges during Clinical Practice' included the subcategories 'sleep problems', 'alienation from clinical placement', 'lack of knowledge and experience', 'hospital staff', 'difficulty reaching nurse educator' and 'lack of protective equipment'. The category 'Suggestions for Clinical Practice' included the subcategories 'psychological support', 'case discussion and academic counselling' and 'protective equipment support'.
Conclusions: The study revealed that intern nurses faced various challenges in clinical settings following their year-long distance education. The results may help nurse educators understand the experiences of intern nurses returning to clinical practice after a year-long distance education and determine the teaching strategies to be followed in specific situations like pandemics in the future.
(© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Keywords: COVID‐19; clinical experience; content analysis; distance education; nursing student; qualitative study

Date Created: 20250120 Date Completed: 20250502 Latest Revision: 20260323

20260323

10.1111/jep.14305

39831632