Pre-licensure nursing students' experiences of psychological safety: A longitudinal qualitative study.

Background: Previous studies have explored the concept of psychological safety among pre-licensure nursing students; however, the literature is notably sparse on personal descriptions of pre-licensure nursing students' experiences of psychological safety in clinical settings. Individual descriptions of psychological safety will provide added insight and understanding about the elements that shape psychological safety in pre-licensure nursing students.

Aim: This research aimed to explore pre-licensure nursing students' experiences of psychological safety during clinical rotations and how these experiences change over time.

Design: A longitudinal, qualitative, descriptive design was used for this study.

Settings: Participants were recruited from a nursing program in the Mountain West region.

Participants: Fifty-four students from three cohorts were enrolled in the study at the time of this data collection and analysis.

Methods: Each participant completed a semi-structured telephone interview after finishing their first academic term involving a clinical rotation. Participants completed additional interviews after each subsequent semester. Individual waves of data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and multiple waves of data were analyzed using a simplified trajectory approach.

Results: Five themes emerged from the data: "Who I Am," "Where I Am," "Who I Am With," "Responding in the Moment," and "Anticipating the Future."

Conclusions: The psychological safety of pre-licensure nursing students in clinical settings is fundamental to their learning and future practice within the nursing profession. The development of psychological safety is dynamic and multifaceted. It is interpersonal but also shaped by organizational factors. Any one person can make an outsized difference in a student's experience. Understanding these themes can help clinical preceptors and nursing faculty understand and better fulfill their respective roles in fostering psychological safety in clinical settings. Additional insights are expected as the longitudinal study continues.