Abstract
With the recent increase in the number of cancer patients, it is important to educate nursing students using pedagogical techniques that nurture understanding and empathy for cancer patients. This study examined nursing students’ experiences caring for cancer patients after receiving drama-combined nursing education for cancer care (DCC), which consisted of three elements: lectures, dramatic scenarios, and debriefing. The lectures dealt with cancer statistics, diseases, and nursing, and the dramatic scenarios depicted both breast cancer patients and lung cancer patients. Sixty-seven junior-year nursing students attended a 90 min DCC session developed by the authors. Focus group interviews were conducted to explore students’ educational experiences, and the following three themes were derived using the thematic analysis method: ‘understanding the lives of patients with severe diseases and their families’, ‘seeing a nursing role model provide patient-centered care’, and ‘projecting an image of oneself as a future nurse’. Using drama in nursing education for cancer patients provided an opportunity for students to imagine the clinical experiences of cancer patients, helping them to understand patients’ points of view and reflect on their self-images as future nurses. The DCC developed for nursing students in this study is a promising way to deliver distinctive and meaningful learning experiences.
Highlights
The National Cancer Institute estimated that the number of cancer survivors in the United States in 2019 was 16.9 million, and that number is expected to increase to22.2 million by 2030 [1]
This is a qualitative study exploring the experiences of nursing students through focus group interviews (FGIs) after they took part in dramacombined nursing education for cancer care (DCC) education
After participating in the DCC classes, participants shared their thoughts on care for cancer patients, the role and purpose of nursing, the gap between nurses who provide emotional support and those in reality, and their self-image as future nurses
Summary
As a result of this increase in the number of cancer patients, nursing students are more likely to encounter cancer patients in clinical practice. Concerns about patient infection in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused clinical practice to become more observation-oriented. These changes in the clinical practice environment have further reduced the number of opportunities for nursing students to interact directly with patients, providing an obstacle for students to obtain dynamic clinical experience in the field [3]. The fragmentation and inconsistency of clinical practice experiences can make it difficult for nursing students to fully understand and empathize with cancer patients and restrict their opportunities to develop relationships with patients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
