THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS IN NURSING - VOICES OF CARING SPEAKOF THE TACT OF TEACHING

The purpose of this phenomenological, Heideggerian hermeneutical study was to describe the lived experiences of 23 undergraduate nursing stu dents in relation to their perceptions of ''caring'' experiences in th eir nursing programs. Data were collected by the primary investigators at a statewide nursing convention, with students relating stories of critical student experiences related to caring. Themes related to cari ng experiences included ''caring as offering,'' ''leaps ahead caring,' ' and ''creating a caring place.'' A recurrent pattern of ''power inhe rent in teaching'' was identified across student narratives, suggestin g the need to study how teachers can use the tact of teaching to empow er students. Implications drawn from the data suggest the need to expl ore how nursing students' learning is shaped by caring interactions wi th nurse clinicians and other health professionals as well as with nur sing faculty. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.