Using Critical Incident Assessments to Understand Nursing Students’ Perceptions That Impact Learning

Nurse faculty have a responsibility to examine nursing incidents that have a negative effect on students and identify methods for improvement. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students’ perceptions of weekly incidents that impact learning in order to alert faculty to problems early in the program of study. A qualitative descriptive design was used to identify common themes of first-semester BSN students’ perceptions using Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire. Four themes were identified. Critical reflection, analysis, and active learning are vital components in nursing education.