The lived experiences of students in nursing: Voices of caring speak of the tact of teaching

The purpose of this phenomenological, Heideggerian hermeneutical study was to describe the lived experiences of 23 undergraduate nursing students in relation to their perceptions of ''caring'' experiences in their nursing programs. Data were collected by the primary investigators at a statewide nursing convention, with students relating stories of critical student experiences related to caring. Themes related to caring experiences included ''caring as offering,'' ''leaps ahead caring,'' and ''creating a caring place.'' A recurrent pattern of ''power inherent in teaching'' was identified across student narratives, suggesting the need to study how teachers can use the tact of teaching to empower students. Implications drawn from the data suggest the need to explore how nursing students' learning is shaped by caring interactions with nurse clinicians and other health professionals as well as with nursing faculty. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.