J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs.  2016 Mar;25(1):37-47. 10.12934/jkpmhn.2016.25.1.37.

Experience Process of Reducing Prejudices against People with Mental Illness by Nursing Students during Clinical Training in Psychiatric Wards

• Song EA
• An HJ

• KMID: 2161893
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2016.25.1.37

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to understand nursing students' experience process of reducing prejudices against people with mental illness.
METHODS
Participants were 9 nursing students who showed positive changes in prejudices against people with mental illness. Data were collected from September 2014 to February 2015 through in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed following Colazzi (1978) phenomenological method.
RESULTS
Analysis showed that for the students' lived experiences of reducing prejudice, there were 47 constructed meanings as 17 subjects in 6 groups: fear, terrifying, relaxation, pitifulness, realization, and sense of kinship. Fear included harm, unpredictability, and wackiness, while terrifying included handshakes without facial expression and unfocused eyes. For relaxation, the content included doing things together, receiving consideration, and being helpful, while for pitifulness it was feeling pathetic, sorry, and anger instead concern for patient. The content for surprise included tenderness, awareness of reality, self-assertiveness, and excellent ability, and for sense of kinship, the same as me and doing with me.
CONCLUSION
Clinical practice instructors or field leaders should provide enough opportunities for students to understand and express their feelings about mental illness. Providing proactive education and programs to reduce prejudices about mental illness before the mental health nursing practicum are also suggested.

Keyword

Mental health nursing practicum; Mentally ill person; Prejudice; Nursing students; Phenomenological study

MeSH Terms

Anger
Education
Facial Expression
Humans
Mental Health
Mentally Ill Persons
Nursing*
Prejudice*
Relaxation
Students, Nursing*

Figure

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  Figure 1 Research process.

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  Figure 2 Experience of overcoming prejudices towards mentally ill persons.

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