Table 3.
Narrative examples of categories within the data set
| Categories | Narrative examples |
|---|---|
| Perception and Appraisal of Events | |
| Epiphany and inspiration | "I just feel that I am still inspired to have some new perspectives on this profession."-P8 |
| Savoring | "Writing a diary during the clinical placement is actually a good way to record and remember, which gives me the strength to keep going."-P10 |
| Self-efficacy | "Although I don't like the nursing profession right now, I think I'll grow to like it over these four years and I think I can do well with it."-P1 |
| Internal drive | |
| Contribution and sense of mission | "Participating in community clinics as well as AIDS prevention charity activities, etc., is doing something like, just not knowing what's good for anyone, but doing something meaningful."-P20 |
| Faith | "The faith in this profession makes me feel that since I have chosen to nurse, I am able to serve this health in the future, even if I don't work in this field in the future, but I still have to learn it solidly when I do."-P13 |
| Intrinsic rewards | "I particularly enjoyed my clinical placement in a department with a good atmosphere; the division of tasks in the department was also particularly well-defined and I felt autonomous."-P12 |
| Self-expansion | "I've grown quickly in these four years, and at every stage, I was the one who tried what I thought was impossible as well as what was a novelty."-P4 |
| Self-representation | |
| Self-compassion | "It's just a self-assurance that everyone thought a final review was hard and it wasn't just me. So I will let myself take my time and not rush."-P9 |
| Self-identify | "After participating in a nursing research group, I took it upon myself to carry out, something like a literature search, and for the first time, I felt a sense of identity and pride in the profession."-P15 |
| Situation-relevant Correspondences and Outcomes | |
| Accomplishments | "The Neurological Intensive Care Unit was one of the departments where I gained the most. For example, my nursing skills have gotten a qualitative leap, and I remember that the first IV Catheter and the first aspiration of my life were completed in that department, so I feel a sense of achievement."-P19 |
| Resilience | "With the death of the patient, and the influence of COVID-19, I feel a heavy workload, but I think I'm pretty resilient and will self-regulate."-P11 |
| Intentional self-regulation | "I had a foolproof plan for student associations and studies because there were a lot of major courses offered in my junior year; I dropped all the associations because I wanted to focus on one thing, that is, one thing at a time."-P7 |
| Social Support | |
| Family | "When I encountered setbacks and difficulties in my studies and life, my parents would encourage me and give me advice, reassuring me that ' to cross that bridge when I come to it'."-P4 |
| Schoolmate and peer | "When I was very tired from my internship, chatting with my friends, I would feel a force that just supported me."-P16 |
| Special others | "That time was actually in a very intense revision rushing stage. It was a cold winter day, I was studying on campus, and then a strange girl suddenly appeared in front of me and gave me a few candies, and then told me to cheer up for my final exam."-P3 |
| Supervisors | "My mentor's professional help and advice helped to dispel my fears and self-doubt during my clinical placement."-P2 |
| Material support | "No financial worries; Get a scholarship"-P3, P18 |
| Relational Attitudes | |
| Attachment security | "I could share everything with my father and I would not feel bored at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Actually, I was very comfortable and relaxed at home during the quarantine."-P6 |
| Relational self-expansion | "I was deeply influenced by the personality of my surgical nursing lecturer. Those insights and interaction with others, I would learn and imitate in my mind."-P17 |
| Concentration | "When I'm very concentrated on learning, it's very efficient and I also feel like, that' s awesome."-P14 |
| Lifestyle | "Being close to nature and exercising regularly will make me feel comfortable and relaxed, like more optimistic."-P5 |
P Participant