Table 2 Analysis of nursing students’ clinical practice education experience

Nursing students’ anxiety and strict adherence to quarantine rules

Fear of infection

What would I do if I got infected with COVID-19? However, I think I was a little more worried that I might cause harm to others and not that I would get sick. (Participant 6)

Protecting themselves

I still wash my hands a lot, and I think that I was washing them more than I thought I would when I attended practice. (Participant 6)

Nursing students’ belief that their organization is protecting them

Strict quarantine rules at hospitals and universities

When I went to the hospital, I saw that the hospital staff were controlling the infection very thoroughly and systematically, so I became less worried while practicing. (Participant 11)

The nursing students regretted the limited scope of practice but felt safe

I think that COVID-19 limited students’ practice experience. We could only observe because of worries about infection. (Participant 2)

Learning through valuable practice

Recognizing the importance of practice

It is very difficult to get a job without any practical experience. We were lucky and thankful that we were able to practice as well. (Participant 5)

Realizing the benefits of practice

Whenever I saw something new or something I had learned in theory, I immediately moved to experience it, and it seemed to become more memorable and unforgettable. (Participant 9)

A sense of duty as a prospective nurse

Accepting a sense of duty as a nurse

Frankly speaking, I am afraid of the infection, but if I become a nurse, I cannot choose the patient, so I think it is fate to some extent. (Participant 3)

Establishing the expanded role of a nurse

I often think that I feel that nursing is a more difficult job than I had thought. I thought that is a job that requires a greater sense of duty than I had thought. (Participant 13)