Clinical practice
The stress associated with clinical practice occurred before, during, and after the clinical day.
Usually the most stressful part of my week is clinical practice, because I often feel like I do not know what to expect and because of all the work associated with it. (Year 2 student)
Feeling unprepared was a common thread. Students not only felt anxious in anticipation of clinical practice but also thought about their clinical experiences after they were over.
Even after clinical, sometimes my mind replays my day at the hospital and I get stressed about Things that I could have missed or where I may have made a mistake. (Year 3 student)
Several students associated the need to prepare for clinical practice the night before and their feelings of stress. This left students feeling there was inadequate time to fully prepare in order to provide safe and knowledgeable care.
I was afraid I was going to kill someone and always seemed to feel unprepared, no matter how much client research I had done. (Year 4 student)
Feeling stressed the night before clinical practice reduced their ability to sleep which further added to their concerns about their potential performance. The comments of a few students suggested a high level of anxiety exemplified by a variety of physical reactions including nausea, vomiting, and heart palpitations.