Introduction: Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a critical approach in pediatric nursing, addressing the unique challenges and high trauma susceptibility in children. Including TIC in nursing education aims to equip students with the necessary skills for empathetic and efficient care, enhancing patient outcomes and professional competence. This study investigates the perspectives of undergraduate pediatric nursing students on TIC.
Methods: In February 2024, a cross-sectional study was launched after the pediatric nursing course. It targeted third-year students via an online survey. Out of 325 invited, 261 participated. The TIC Provider Survey v2.0 and the Students' Profile Form were used for data collection.
Results: Of the 261 pediatric nursing students, 71.6 % were female, and 70.5 % were over 22. About 62.8 % had previous trauma care education. The study found moderately high mean scores in different sub-items of TIC knowledge (Mean ± SD = 40.26 ± 7.401), moderate self-rated competence (Mean ± SD = 17.57 ± 4.809) in TIC practices, and high favorable opinions (Mean ± SD = 22.23 ± 4.015) towards TIC. It emphasized the combined impact of classroom learning and clinical practice on understanding and applying TIC principles.
Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for TIC in pediatric nursing curricula to enhance students' skills and confidence. It suggests that targeted educational interventions can improve holistic care for trauma-affected patients. The research advocates continuous training to bolster TIC competencies, benefiting children and families. It calls for future research with larger samples and qualitative analysis to further understand TIC in nursing education.
Keywords: Pediatric nursing; Perspectives; Trauma-informed care; Undergraduate nursing students.
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