Determining the difficultiesencountered by individuals having postgraduate thesiscompletedin the field of surgical nursingduring the thesis study

ABSTRACT DETERMINING THE DIFFICULTIESENCOUNTERED BY INDIVIDUALS HAVING POSTGRADUATE THESISCOMPLETEDIN THE FIELD OF SURGICAL NURSINGDURING THE THESIS STUDY The descriptive study was conducted in order to determine the difficultiesencountered by individuals, who completed their postgraduate thesis study in the field of surgical nursing, during the thesis study. The population of the study consisted of the individuals who completed their thesis study in the field of surgical nursing within Masters with Thesis Programs in the Nursing Department or Surgical Nursing Department within the Institutes of Health Sciences between 2010 and 2016. It has been found from the national thesis centerthat there are 85 thesis studies completed in this field. The sample of the studyconsisted of 42 individuals who completed the online thesis questionnaire sent through email. In the data analysis, descriptive variables of the study were calculated as number and percentage (%) (the distribution of the descriptive characteristicsof the participants, the distribution of the descriptive characteristicsofthe thesis studyand the universities, where the thesis studies were carried out). Number and percentage (%) values were used in showing the data of the survey questions determining the DifficultiesEncountered during Thesis Process. In order to compare the descriptive characteristicsand the survey questions; Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Chi-square tests were performed. The value of p<0.05 was accepted for statistical significance. As a result of the study, the participants stated that they encountered difficulties in all the stages of their thesis. All the participants stated that they had difficulties concerning the medical condition of the patient, work intensity of the nurses and reaching to the families as the thesis studies were conducted in the surgical field. Conducting the scientific researchpreviously, receiving training on the process of thesis, and studying at the statistics department in the university decreased the difficulties experienced. Keywords: Surgery, Nursing, Surgical Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Departmentof Surgical Diseases Nursing, Discipline of Surgical Diseases Nursing, Challenges, Difficulties