*서일대학교 간호학과, †안산대학교 간호학과
Department of Nursing, *Seoil University, Seoul, †Ansan College, Ansan, Korea
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe clinical practicum experiences of the nursing students' in psychiatric settings by personality types of enneagram. The qualitative data was gathered from 3 focus group discussions with 23 nursing students who experienced clinical practicum in psychiatric settings. Focus groups include 'instinct', 'feeling', and 'thinking' groups, according to personality types of enneagram. All interviews were recorded and transcribed according to thematic content analysis processes. The three main themes on clinical practicum experiences of participants were 'Emotions arising from the relationship with patients', 'Desire to become therapeutic oneself', 'The sense of pressure toward task.'Nine other themes were 'Anxious about unfamiliar situation', 'Tired and upset', 'Happy and full', 'Difficult to get closer to patients', 'Applying therapeutic commu-nication skills', 'Worrying position as a therapist', 'Softened prejudices about mental illness', 'Stress toward task', and 'Getting assistance'. The findings of the study illustrated in the participants' clinical practicum experiences, showed differences according to personality types of enneagram. (Korean J Str Res 2013;21:213∼227)