中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, information about its psychological impact on students interning at medical institutes is limited. We investigated the experiences and perceptions of nursing students in Taiwan working in clinical practicums during the first 5 months of the epidemic. We aimed to provide a basis for and examples of the planning of alternative internship programs during a pandemic. Methods: We applied qualitative text analysis and interview methods, and used the ecosystem model to analyze manuscripts and materials from social media. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews using snowball sampling, and also obtained data from different sources through 2 participants whose original practicums were cancelled due to the epidemic. Data sorting and content analyses were carried out using NVIVO 8. Results: We analyzed 4 dimensions: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and the chronosystem. Stress in the internship was mainly due to the effects in the microsystem. We identified 5 themes at this level: insufficient equipment, psychological and emotional worry, anxiety, anger, helplessness and feelings of hopelessness. A mesosystem occurs when participants are directly involved and interactive with two or more micro-systems. We identified 4 mesosystems. We identified 4 exosystems that represent the outer layer of the individual's environment and contain a wide range of ideologies, cultures, and societal subcultures. The effect of the chronosystem was the balanced development of continuous psychological dynamics. Conclusion: Psychological pressure on nursing students during an internship is the result of the interaction of various ecological systems. Mental health challenges are constant during a pandemic so the coordination of various systems is urgently needed to allow for the best adjustment. Based on the analysis, we identified a plan for implementation of alternative internship programs and provided 2 examples. An alternative back-to-school internship program can achieve curriculum development and provide internship experience for nursing students. It can also be used for future formulation of education policies encompassing systems.