Date of Award

Summer 5-29-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Nursing

Department

Nursing

Advisor

Bonnie Sturm, EdD

Committee Member

Marie Foley, PhD

Committee Member

Kathleen Neville, PhD

Keywords

bullying, nursing students, clinical instructors, advocacy, qualitative research, Kenneth Burke

Abstract

Bullying within the clinical environment is a pervasive issue that significantly impacts prelicensure nursing students. The aim of this study was to describe prelicensure nursing students' experiences of and reactions to bullying by registered nurses (RNs) during their clinical experience. The qualitative research design involved narrative analysis of participant stories to gain insights into the nature and consequences of these interactions. The findings revealed that bullying manifested through RNs ignoring students, withholding or not accepting help, making wrongful accusations, and engaging in both verbal and non-verbal mistreatment of students. These experiences led prelicensure nursing students to have decreased self-confidence, compromised learning outcomes, and thoughts of leaving the profession of nursing. However, the study highlighted the positive role of advocacy by clinical instructors and RNs. When clinical instructors and RNs advocated for students who experienced bullying, it mitigated the negative effects of bullying and fostered emotional resilience and confidence of prelicensure nursing students. Recommendations for addressing the issue of bullying in the clinical environment include cultivating a supportive clinical environment; promoting open communication between students, clinical instructors, and registered nurses; and strengthening partnerships between educational and clinical placement institutions. Educational interventions should be implemented for clinical instructors to recognize and confront bullying and to support students after the experience of bullying. Clinical instructors play a crucial role in creating a safe and respectful learning environment. They must actively address and prevent bullying incidents to promote the well-being and professional growth of prelicensure nursing students. Effective advocacy for prelicensure nursing students can counteract the adverse consequences of bullying and encourage students to remain committed to their nursing education and the profession of nursing.

Keywords: bullying, prelicensure nursing students, student nurses, registered nurses, clinical environment, clinical placement, clinical instructors, advocacy, qualitative research, Kenneth Burke

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