The Miracle of Communication as a Global Issue in Clinical Learning Motivation of Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Globalization is based on the expansion of communications worldwide. Demographic changes in the Iranian student population due to Iran's multicultural and multi-ethnical background, coupled with migration of some students from foreign countries, are among the issues posing serious challenges to medical education, particularly in the area of human communications. Clinical learning by nursing students is itself carried out within a complicated context of interactions between those with clinical responsibilities. Since communications play an effective role in students’ motivation level and clinical learning would be rendered useless without their motivation, this study was planned to define students’ and instructors’ perceptions of the role of communications in the motivation of nursing students with regard to clinical learning. Method: This study was performed on a qualitative basis; the participants of the study comprised 16 nursing students and 4 instructors who participated in semi-structured interviews, with due regard to the ethics of the study. The data obtained from these interviews were qualitatively analysed after recording and transcribing. Findings: The following themes were extracted for motivation of the nursing students’ clinical learning:’ communications with nurses’ (with the sub-themes of ‘nurse–student communications, nurse–instructor communications and nurse–nurse communications’),‘student–patient communications’, ‘student–instructor communications’ and ‘student intercommunications’. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that in the contemporary global society where communication technology has eliminated geographical boundaries, human communications still play a key role in clinical education. Communications within the clinical environment create an atmosphere conducive to either motivation or demotivation among nursing students.