Internship and postgraduate entrance examination: A qualitative study on the psychological experience of undergraduate nursing students under dual pressure in China

Background: With the development of nursing positions and nursing disciplines in China's tertiary hospitals, the number of people applying for the master's degree in nursing is also increasing year by year. Postgraduate examinations are held during internship, so nursing students face the dual pressure of testing and internship, which brings varying degrees of negative experiences and emotional fluctuations. Objective: To explore the psychological experiences and influencing factors of undergraduate nursing students under the dual pressures of clinical nursing internships and postgraduate examination preparations. Design: Descriptive qualitative study. Method: Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 18 participants from eight tertiary hospitals in China between October and December 2023. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, with interview recordings transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was then applied to the data. Results: Four themes were identified: negative experiences under dual pressures, coping mechanisms for negative experiences, motivational effects under dual pressures, and evaluations of significant individuals. Nursing students improved their overall abilities through internships and exam preparations, gaining a clear understanding of themselves and certain hospital roles. However, at this stage, students also experienced adverse psychological experiences for various reasons. Thus, they employed several methods to alleviate their psychological stress, aiming for a better state to face internships and exam preparations. Conclusion: Schools and hospitals should pay more attention to the needs of nursing students under dual pressures, monitoring their emotional states, and providing psychological support to enhance their stress-coping abilities. It is important to ensure the overall well-being of students while strengthening the motivational effects of internships and learning experiences.