Online Pre‐Nursing Students' Experiences With Practicing Self‐Compassion Skills: A Thematic Analysis

ABSTRACT

Aim
To introduce self‐compassion knowledge and skills to pre‐nursing students using course‐based content and qualitatively analyse their experiences via a reflective writing assignment.


Design
A qualitative descriptive research design was used.


Methods
All pre‐nursing students enrolled in a required Introduction to Nursing course were introduced to self‐compassion information and invited to practice one self‐compassion skill each week for 2 weeks. Students could choose from (1) self‐compassion break, (2) supportive touch or (3) critical self‐talk skills and completed two reflection assignments on their experience. Thematic analysis was used to analyse participants' responses.


Results

Participants (
n
 = 63) were female (85.7%), White (38.1%), with an average age of 34.2 years. Exposure to self‐compassion content was novel for many and heightened their awareness of how they treat themselves. In the self‐compassion break, students learned to recognise and reframe suffering and noticed a calming effect resulting from the experience. Participants who tried supportive touch noted conflicting experiences of discovering the power of touch or being out of their comfort zone. With the critical self‐talk exercise, participants discovered a new awareness of critical self‐talk and the benefits and challenges related to trying to turn critical self‐talk around.



Conclusion
Self‐compassion knowledge and skills can offer pre‐nursing students support with internal psychological processes including self‐regulation, stress management and psychosocial health. Nurse educators should consider incorporating self‐compassion concepts with students to promote academic persistence.


Implications for the Profession
Assisting nursing students with skills to manage psychosocial health supports academic persistence and success, which is needed to mitigate the ongoing nursing shortage.


Impact



Learning about self‐compassion was a new experience for many participants.


In‐the‐moment benefits to physical and mental well‐being were often reported.


A minority expressed scepticism regarding the utility of supportive touch or changing critical self‐talk.


Pre‐nursing students can utilize self‐compassion skills to support self‐regulation and student success.





Reporting Method
This study was guided by the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines.


Patient or Public Contribution
No patient or public contribution.