Building resilience in CEGEP nursing students through supportive clinical teacher-student relationships

Abstract

"Decades of research have established that resilience is a complex construct, shaped both by the individual and the environment, rather than a fixed personality trait. It is now known that environmental factors play a significant role in the building or eroding of resilience. Previous research has shown that personal protective factors like self-efficacy and coping skills impact the resilience of nursing students. However, little research has focused on the environmental factors that mediate resilience, in particular the support that students receive from their teachers to meet the stresses of the clinical learning milieu. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of CEGEP nursing students on the basic elements required for a supportive clinical teacher-student relationship that helps them build resilience. This descriptive study took place at Champlain College Lennoxville, a small CEGEP (Collège d’enseignement general et professionnel) in the Eastern Townships of Québec. A qualitative design was chosen because of the explorative nature of the inquiry centered on the lived experience of a small number of participants in a particular setting and context. The purposive sample consisted of 31 second- and third-year nursing students. The data collection followed the World Café method, originally designed to engage people in face-to-face conversations about complex questions that matter. Data was analyzed using content analysis and the constant comparative method. Results indicate that nursing students face significant challenges that demand personal resilience practices as well as peer and teacher support. Students cited coping strategies, mindfulness, self-efficacy, and a positive mindset as personal resilience practices, findings that were echoed in the literature. In addition to basic pedagogy, supportive teachers need to understand the student experience; provide opportunities for building peer support; give feedback that is constructive, private, safe, and delivered in a positive tone; and balance autonomy with presence. This study brings new insight into how to best support the development of resilience in nursing students in the current healthcare context following the COVID-19 pandemic and dominated by a severe nursing shortage." -- provided by the author