Nursing Student-Patient Relationships: A Descriptive Study of Students' and Patients' Views

This study was designed to describe and compare nursing students' and patients' perceptions of the relationship between students and patients. The data was collected in Finland from a convenience sample of nursing students (n=290) and patients (n=242) using questionnaires especially designed for this study. The results indicated that students viewed the relationship as more authoritative and facilitative, while patients regarded the relationship as more mechanistic. Furthermore, students' and patients' views on their relationships differed significantly. These results have important implications for nursing education. They particularly highlight the need to further strengthen nursing student-patient interactions and relationships.