Introduction
Covid-19 is a deadly disease which has brought a very big change in the world. It not only changed the economy but also the health care system. When all schools, college, malls, temples, restaurants, transportation everything were closed, medical professionals like Doctors and Nurse served the Nation. Nurses’ played a vital role in pandemic situation. Going to work during this COVID-19 pandemic has placed frontline workers under immense and unprecedented pressure, putting their physical, mental and social well-being at risk.1 There was acute shortage of nurses’ to work in clinical area and to fill the gap of nurses’ it was decided by the government to utilize student nurses’ to work at covid-19. Of course this period was tough for student nurses and their parents but they do participated in it. Working in covid-19 ward, hospital also helped them to developed their skills and knowledge. Education increase student nurses’ skills to prepare them for duties but experience in covid-19 wards made them skilled nurses’.2 So, due to clinical posting these nurses’ have learned the role of registered nurse. At the same time many difficulties and challenges they faced. Stress and possible exposure makes Health Care Workers highly susceptible for acquiring COVID-19 and potentially transmitting it to others.3
Exposure to positive clinical learning experience influences the nursing students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and interest in continuing the nursing profession. 4 Covid-19 posting of student nurses provided a great help to hospitals and nursing staff. For nursing students their clinical learning environment is stressful and anxiety aggravating. 5 Unprecedented challenges in the face of a global pandemic, shows positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, changes on an hourly basis are increasing and likely to worsen globally.6 So the researcher thought to find out the level of satisfaction towards their clinical posting at covid-19 areas. Respecting the participation of students nurses in clinical areas and also listening too many of their good and bad experiences the researcher thought to understand their experience and expectation, and general problems faced by them, which may help the college staff and health care administrator to work towards improvement extending their cooperation for student nurses. Clinical experiences are important throughout a nurse's career student or experienced because they provide a roadmap to patient care decisions and professional development. 7 COVID-19 is an ongoing crisis; it is a real-time lesson in equity, leadership, social justice, ethics, and patient care. 8
Objectives of the study
To assess the student nurses’ satisfaction level related to clinical posting at Covid-19 areas.
To find out the association of level of satisfaction with selected demographic variables of students working in covid-19 areas.
Operational definition
Assess
In this study assess means the organized systematic continuous process of collecting data from student nurses’ satisfaction related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas.
Nursing students
In our study nursing refers to GNM nursing B.Sc. nursing/ P.B B.Sc. nursing/ M.Sc. nursing courses done by the student.
Satisfaction
In our study satisfaction refers to student opinion toward clinical posting at covid-19 area.
Clinical posting
In our study clinical posting refers to a nursing student's posting at hospital to serve the covid-19 areas.
Covid-19 areas
In our study covid-19 areas refers to the OPD/ causality/ ICU / ward where covid-19 care is provided to patient.
Scope of study
The survey to assess the student nurses’ satisfaction related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas will help to find out the students satisfaction and plan posting for the students accordingly.
It will also help to know the shortcomings faced by students which can help to improve student’s interest in clinical posting.
Nursing administration can encourage the staff and provide them better communication and friendly environment.
This research can also be helpful to conduct further research at student satisfaction areas.
Research methodology
Setting of the study
The study was conducted in selected nursing colleges by online mode through Google form.
Tools for data collection
Tool of data collection consist of two sections: Section A: consist of demographic variables of students to participate in the study. E.g. Age, Gender, Course, Batch, Residence , Area of Working, Hours of working, use of PPE kit, hours of using PPE kit, Vaccination and with single or both doses etc.
Section B: It consists of five point Likert scale having statements to assess the student’s satisfaction working in covid-19 areas.
Analysis and interpretation
The analysis and interpretation was done on 116 participants of the study. Satisfaction level related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas was assessed using a likert scale. On the basis of objectives of the study descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (chi square χ2 = ∑(Oi – Ei)2/Ei, where Oi = observed value (actual value) and Ei = expected value) was used to assess association.
Section –I
Table 1
Distribution of samples according to their demographic variables: n=116
The above table shows that Majority of the students were from the age group of 21-22 and more than 22 (91.36%) and only 10(8.6%) students were from the age group of 19-20.
Majority 80.17% of the students were female however only 19.82 % of students were male
Educational status reveals that majority of the students 60.34% are from Post basic B.sc Nursing and only 13.79% of them were educated GNM
Majority of students 47.41% were studying in fourth year and 29.31% were from third year and 18.96% were studying I second year and no students were from M.sc Nursing
The Above data reveals that majority 50% of students were working for less than 6 hours while only 1.7% student were working for 10 hours.
45.68% of the students were working in Casualty/Emergency while 37.90 % students were working in ward and 8.6% students working in ICU and only 7.75% students working in OPD.
Majority of students residing in own house with parents were 56.89%, 32.75% in hostel and only 10.34% were staying on lease.
In regards to use of PPE kit 77.58% of students were wearing it while 22.41% of them were not wearing during the posting.
In regards to hours to wear PPE kit majority 36.20 % had to wear it for 4to 6 hours while only 12.06% had to wear it for 8-10 hours.
The study also revealed that out of 116 students 60 (51.72%) of them were vaccinated against covid-19 out of which 30 vaccinated with single dose and 30 with both the doses.
A study to assess the student Nurses’ satisfaction level related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas.
Table 2
Table showing each question wise satisfaction level of student nurses’ working in covid-19 areas
The above table shows each question wise satisfaction level of student nurses’ working in covid-19 areas.
The table shows most of the student nurses’ were satisfied with all the aspects but dissatisfaction was also noticed.
22(18.96%) of student nurses’ were dissatisfied with the administrative support at assigned hospital.
In regard to availability of resources at the hospital and use of PPE kit during working hours 26( 22.41%) of student nurses’ reported as dissatisfied .
21(18.10%) of student nurses’ were dissatisfied with covid-19 screening carried out before and after clinical.
Also in provision of facilities in quarantines period were reported as dissatisfied by 30(25.86%) of student nurses’
Section -II
To find out the association between selected demographic variable with student nurses’ satisfaction level related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas.
Table 3
Table showing the association between selected demographic variable with student nurses’ satisfaction level related to clinical posting at covid-19 areas.
Above data shows the association of student nurses’ satisfaction level with age, course, and batch.
Figure 6
Percentage Wise Distribution of Student Nurses satisfaction level with clinical posting during covid-19 areas
The study reveals that out of 116 student nurses’ 28 (24.13%) of them were very satisfied with the clinical posting at covid-19 areas, 53(45.68%) of them were satisfied, whereas 30 (25.86%) of them were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 5 (4.31%) of them were dissatisfied.
Discussion
This study was conducted to assess the nursing student satisfaction (n=116) regarding covid-19 posting of student nurses. It was found that as compared to normal circumstances the students had to face various challenges to work at Covid-19 areas these challenges were like under-preparation to serve patients of covid-19, fear of parents and teachers for their ward to send them at infected areas of deadly disease, support and co-operation from hospital and administrative staff, support from community etc. It was found that student nurses were satisfied with all aspects but slight dissatisfaction level was marked in certain areas like administrative support at assigned hospital, use of PPE kit during working hours, availability of resources at hospital, provision of facilities during quarantine period etc. Over all the study revealed that majority 53 (45.68%) of them were satisfied with the covid-19 posting as they got the opportunity to learn in this pandemic situation.
This survey had some limitations like student nurses working in different environments were included in study, which might have differences. Interest level and mindset of the respondent, cannot be ruled out. Study was conducted only at Vidharba level. Follow up studies are required to assess and analyze long term impact of pandemic if situation on student nurses.
Conclusion
This study reveals that with the posting of student nurses during pandemic situation provided them opportunity to learn how to handle pandemic situation and their importance in health care system. Student responded very positively but in some areas they were dissatisfied like provision of facilities during quarantine period, administrative support, availability of resources at hospital etc. Further such studies can be conducted at broad levels and comparison of private and government student nurses also can be considered.
Acknowledgement
We thanks to God, for the constant blessings to us for the successful completion of our research work. Our sincere gratitude and respect to the Principal Mrs. Rupa Verma for her constant support and guidance, and expert advice. We deeply appreciate to HODs and colleagues for their valuable suggestions. We also thank all the experts who validated the tool. Participants who spent their valuable time and energy to help make this research study successful are also deeply appreciated.
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