Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of an Integrated Psychiatric Nursing Curriculum in Korea

Abstract

This qualitative study explored undergraduate nursing students’ experiences of an integrated psychiatric nursing curriculum in Seoul, Korea. Thirteen college students from the nursing school participated in focus-group interviews; the data were analyzed using content analysis. Four themes were derived: being confused by uncertainty, struggling to gain confidence, realizing humanity from stigma, and being motivated by role models. A conceptual model of psychiatric nursing education was developed based on these themes to explain the students’ developmental process from student nurse to psychiatric nurse. Psychiatric nurse educators must understand students’ learning process to facilitate their professional role identification.