Patients' Attitudes toward Student Nurses in a Surgical Ward of a Hospital in Nepalgunj: A Cross-Sectional Study

Clinical training of nursing students in hospital settings is essential for developing competent professionals, yet patient attitudes toward their involvement can influence care quality, patient satisfaction, and the learning environment. In Nepal, where the nursing profession continues to face social stigma, understanding patient perceptions of student nurses remains understudied, particularly in district-level hospitals. This study aimed to assess the level of patients' attitudes toward student nurses and to examine associations between these attitudes and selected socio-demographic variables among patients admitted to the surgical ward of Western Hospital, Banke District, Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Using purposive sampling, 60 patients who had been exposed to student nurses for at least three days were interviewed using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale (22 items; 14 positive and 8 negative statements). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (chi-square test) with SPSS version 21. Attitude was classified as positive (>50% score) or negative (