Nursing Students’ Views Toward Fostering Hope in Healthcare Practice

Abstract

Nursing students experienced a range of situations during their clinical placements, particularly in
confronting patients’ health and illness. It is, however,not clear how hope is fosteredin healthcare
practice by the nursing students.This study exploresBruneian nursing students’ perception offostering
hope in healthcare and how they managed their experiences. This study used a descriptive qualitative
design.A total of twenty-seven students were interviewed in five focus-group discussions. Data were
analysed using content analysis. Students identified three broad themes: hope offers emotional support,
fostering individualised hope,and shared responsibility by the team. There was broad consensus among
the students that fostering hope is an important aspect of providing emotional support to the patients. The
findings indicate that nursing students are cognisant of the greater value of providing an individualised
hope for each patient. Simultaneously, the students recognise the value of shared responsibility by
the healthcare team to nurture hope in healthcare context.With these findings, it is recommended that
students receive further support to learn and be sensitive to the language of hope, given the importance
of hope in healthcare practice.