Nursing students experiences of caring for hospitalized children : A qualitative study in Danang, Vietnam

Sammanfattning: Aim: To describe nursing students experiences of caring for hospitalized children between 0-5 years old.  Background: Child mortality is most common in the ages between 0-5 years old. Despite the positive development in Vietnam during the last years, children are still a vulnerable group. Studies show that there are challenges in pediatric nursing in Vietnam and research is required to highlight the experiences to increase awareness of pediatric nursing and child mortality. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten nursing students who had practice with children between 0-5 years old. The data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.  Results: The students felt gratefulness when they could support the children and the parents of the children. The students received new knowledge about specific tasks and described parents as essential and supporting in the care. Conclusion: It appeared that pediatric nursing is challenging and generates different emotions. An important factor in pediatric nursing is to involve parents.