Fourth year nursing students' perceptions of their educational preparation in medication management: An interpretative phenomenological study

Background: Medication safety is an integral aspect of patient safety. Nurses, as advocates of patient safety, actively consider medication safety in the course of their daily work. Hence, it is important to consider the educational preparation of nursing students in medication management, as future caregivers. There are inherent links between nurses' undergraduate educational preparation in medication management and patient safety. Objective: This research study identifies fourth-year nursing students' perceptions of their educational preparation in medication management. Design: An interpretative phenomenological methodological approach underpinned this research study. Setting: This study was conducted at a University in the West of Ireland. Participants: Participants were final year students of three undergraduate nursing programmes, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (General), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Intellectual Disability) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Mental Health). Methods: Fourteen semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with students on a one-to-one basis. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: The voices and interpretations of the participants in this study were fundamental to understanding nursing students' perceptions of their preparation in medication management and provided the foundation for this research. These perceptions were captured in the format of four themes: developing an understanding, embedding knowledge in practice, engaging in practice and accepting professional responsibility. Conclusions: Findings point to the important role of the university and the clinical placement settings in nursing students' medication management education and the need for further collaboration and development across both settings. Teaching and learning strategies which promote the integration of theory and practice throughout the four years of the undergraduate degree programme should be encouraged, such as technology enhanced learning and simulation.