This study was conducted to identify the effects of first class nursing school students’ experiences of “one night stand at the hospital” as way of self-learning on acquiring health and illness concepts, relationship between the medical staff and patients, and effects of hospital environment on individual needs. The study is qualitative study with the inclusion of 80 voluntary first class students. Students were hospitalized in the surgical and medical clinics of a research and training hospital for a period of 24 hours. The data were obtained via a semi-structured and open-ended 20-question survey form in the morning when the students were discharged from the hospital. Frequency distributions were determined in the analysis of demographic data and lesson aims, and content analysis of students’ expressions was performed in the evaluation of concepts. In the content analysis concepts of health and illness, the effects of hospital environment on individual requirements and the relationship between the medical staff and patients were assessed. Ninety three percent and 99% of the students made adequate evaluations based on health, and illness and the importance of relationship between the medical staff and patients, respectively. Eighty-five percent, 81%, 63% and 19% of the students reported that they suffered from various problems associated with nutrition, sleep, excretory functions and lack of hygiene, respectively during their hospitalization period. In conclusion concepts of health and illness are two important concepts of the profession of nursing and they both possess many components. It is concluded that this experience of hospitalization is an effective method for the students to realize the concepts of health and illness, relationship between the medical staff and patients and the effects of hospital environment on individual needs.

Keywords: Disease, nursing education, learning, health, life experiences