Exploring the meaning of peer support used by undergraduate nursing students who have experienced clinical-related critical incidents: A hermeneutic study.

Background: Undergraduate nursing students may access support from peers after having experienced critical incidents during experiential learning opportunities. While researchers have addressed peer support relative to academic or day-to-day stress in undergraduate nursing students, there is a paucity of data on the context of clinical related critical incidents.

Objective: To better understand undergraduate nursing students' experiences of using peer support after clinical related critical incidents.

Design: Experiential learning places undergraduate nursing students at risk of encountering critical incidents. Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics was the research approach used to explore the meaning of peer support accessed by undergraduate nursing students who had experienced clinical related critical incidents.

Setting: Participants were recruited from a Canadian university.

Participants: A purposive sample was used to recruit nine students who were enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews over 12 months in 2021-2022.

Method: The interviews with participants were recorded and transcribed and the data was analyzed using the interpretive method of hermeneutics.

Results: Findings from this research revealed that peer support was an effective informal method of providing immediate assistance to undergraduate nursing students. Inherent in this support was a safe space where students experienced a sense of belonging which normalized the incident and minimized isolation. Support was perceived by some participants as reciprocal as both the traumatized individual and the peer supporter benefited from the organic connection.

Conclusions: This study highlighted the importance of nurturing a psychologically safe clinical learning environment where students who experience critical incidents may seek timely support from peers and clinical instructors.