Breaking the Fourth Wall: Lived Experiences of UCC Nursing Students in their New Normal Community Exposure

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of second-year UCC nursing students during their initial community exposure to the new normal as they transitioned from online learning to face-to-face interaction.

A qualitative research approach, specifically Husserlian phenomenology, was employed to delve into the participants' subjective experiences. The nine participants were chosen through purposive sampling. Data collection took place between February 2023 and March 2023, following the approval from the Ethics Review Board. Thematic analysis was applied to examine the collected data. The study observed ethical considerations like conflict of interest, privacy and confidentiality, informed consent process, vulnerability, recruitment, risk, benefits, compensation, community consideration, and handling specimens.

The study's findings revealed four (4) primary themes: The Incarnation, The Probability, The Secretive Plotter, and Beyond the Fourth Wall, which sums up into a phenomenon, "Breaking the Fourth Wall." Theme 1 explored the feelings of the second-year nursing students in their first community exposure. Theme 2 discussed the student's problems, such as the environment and the community's perception. Theme 3 discovered the adjustments made by the students on health, mentality, gaps, and their lackings. Lastly, theme 4 is about what they learned during their exposure.

The study highlighted the significance of understanding the experiential realities of nursing students embarking on their initial forays into the community. Emotions such as fear, excitement, challenge, and curiosity are essential when preparing students for community exposure. Consequently, comprehensive instruction concerning community exposure, explicitly focusing on the environment and the community's perception, should be a priority in nursing education curricula.