Methods: The study participants were nursing students with menstrual distresses during clinical practice. A series of Q sorts was performed by nursing students to subjectively rank the Q statements. Q statements were constructed based on the literature related to coping with menstrual distresses and face-to-face interviews. Factor analysis was conducted on the rankings of the Q statements by using PQ Method software (version 2.35).
Results: A total of 60 participants were invited to rank 47 Q statements. The results of factor analysis revealed that four factors retained in the final model accounted for 46.6% of total variance. The following are the four prominent shared perspectives: (1). affected performance, (2). sense of responsibility, (3). seeking support, and (4). conservative self-care. According to participants’ distinguishing statements, Factor 1 participants asserted that due to their menstrual distress symptoms, they were unable to provide proper care and pay attention to patients’ needs. Factor 2 participants coped with their discomfort and focused on providing care to patients out of a sense of professionalism and responsibility; they thus exhibited an image of professional nursing staff. The distinguishing statements of Factor 3 and Factor 4 participants focused on describing the physiological and emotional effects of menstrual distress on the participants. Their opinions are similar to those of ordinary students. In particular, Factor 3 participants sought support from others, while Factor 4 participants coped with conservative self-care.
Conclusion: The four identified groups of perspectives can enhance nursing teachers to acknowledge the patterns of stress and coping associated with menstrual distresses. The exploration of clustering nursing students' perceptions may facilitate the development of customized strategies to enable more appropriate assistance.