Evaluation of the Challenges Faced by the Nursing Personnel, Including Student Nurses in the Care of Surgical Patients at the Selected Hospital of Siliguri, India

Abstract

Nursing personnel, such as staff nurses or student nurses, are key parts of surgical care teams, ensuring patient safety, timely interventions, and ongoing recovery management. The role of nurses becomes even more critical in surgical conditions when the level of patient acuity is high and the requirements of care are intense. Aim: The study aimed to determine the level of challenges faced by nursing personnel, including student nurses, in the care of surgical patients Study Design: Descriptive study design.  Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Dr. Chhang’s Super Speciality Hospital, Matigara, Siliguri between July 2025 to August 2025. Methodology: The participants in the study were 100 including 50 registered nurses and 50 student nurses who were chosen through non-probability convenient sampling method. The self-report structured questionnaire that was used to collect data included demographics and questionnaires related to challenges that registered and student nurses encounter when dealing with surgical care. Statistical analysis of data was performed through descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage; the frequency distribution assessed nursing challenges. Inferential statistics were used to test the relationship with demographics (linear regression) and one independent t-test was used to compare the challenges faced by registered and student nurses. Results: The study has shown that Student Nurses face much more challenges than Registered Nurses, and especially in clinical settings (49 vs. 36 high-level responses). On the whole, Student Nurses indicated 164 high-level challenges, whereas RNs indicated 108. The independent t-test revealed that there is a significant difference in mean scores (M = 40.50 vs. 33.64; t = -6.21, p < 0.05). The regression analysis has revealed that professional role (b = 6.86, p < 0.001), gender (b = 7.70, p = 0.004), experience (b = -2.65, p < 0.001), shift type, and patient load are significant predictors. The results suggest the importance of mentorship, communication training, and support strategies in surgical nursing care. Conclusion:  This study has identifies issues that affect clinical learning such as inadequate support, poor relationships, and communication failures. It suggests mentorship, empathy development, workload management, and learning via simulation to enhance nurse competence, confidence, and quality of care provided to patients as a result of continuous cooperation and assessment.