NURSING-STUDENTS PERSPECTIVES - EXPERIENCES OF CARING AND NOT-SO-CARING INTERACTIONS WITH FACULTY

The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of baccalaureate nursing students' lived experience of caring and not-so-caring intera ctions with faculty. The research questions explored the phenomenon of being cared-for or not-cared-for by asking, ''What does being cared-f or by faculty mean to baccalaureate nursing students?'' Students were also asked to describe not-so-caring interactions with faculty. Sevent een baccalaureate nursing students at a private liberal arts college a nd 15 baccalaureate nursing students at a public university were inter viewed. Transcripts of the tape-recorded interviews were analyzed usin g Giorgi's technique. After reflection upon the content of the intervi ews, significant statements were identified, meaning units were develo ped, and themes were extracted which were then abstracted into categor ies of Recognition, Connection, and Confirmation/Affirmation. Finally, general structural descriptions of the phenomena of a caring and of a not-so-caring interaction were constructed. Implications for teaching , research, and practice are described.