Lack of hands-on competence in future paediatric nursing: Examining student nurses’ paediatric competence after graduation – A hermeneutic study

Paediatric nursing training has been reduced in scope, which has become a concern in nursing education. Little is known regarding students’ experiences and what they learn about children as patients during courses. For the students in this study, paediatric nursing training consists of a 1-day observation practice. The aim of the present study was to examine this observation practice in paediatric nursing and discuss the consequences of the reduction of practical training for the level of knowledge of student nurses after graduation. A descriptive and interpretative design with a hermeneutical approach was employed to examine students’ experience in hospitals. Individual interviews were conducted with 11 students, and the data analysis followed Brinkmann and Kvale's three levels of interpretation. The study was reported in accordance with the COREQ checklist. Three themes emerged: ‘preparing the child for a procedure or treatment’; ‘the importance of the care provided by parents’; and ‘the lack of hands-on paediatric nursing training for students’. This study has implications for nursing in terms of paediatric competence. The findings suggest that students receive insufficient practical training in paediatric nursing. A discussion is required regarding paediatric nursing in nursing education, as well as how to meet national and international requirements.