Improving quality in clinical placement studies in nursing homes (QUALinCLINstud): the study protocol of a participatory mixed-methods multiple case study design

Abstract

IntroductionImproved quality in clinical supervision and assessment of student nurses in nursing home clinical placements is vitally important to effective recruitment and preparation for this healthcare sector. Knowledge regarding supervision and assessment practices within these settings is limited. Also, knowledge of evolving e-learning tools on the quality and effectiveness of these educational practices seems to be absent.Methods and analysisThe aim of the “Improving quality in clinical placement studies in nursing homes” (QUALinCLINstud) study is to develop and evaluate how a web-based programme can optimise supervision, assessment and learning during nursing home placements. The study applies a participatory, mixed-methods case study design, organised in four work packages (WPs). WP1 will explore how the nurse education institution address the quality of student nurses’ clinical placements in nursing homes. In WP2, clinical supervision and assessment practices will be explored, and described from multiple stakeholder perspectives. In WP3, based on the findings from WP1 and WP2, a web-based pedagogical supervision and assessment programme will be developed through a developmental co-productive process between nurse education institutions, practice settings and student nurses. In WP4, the web-based programme will be pilot-tested and evaluated through a mixed-methods approach. A range of data collection procedures will be used throughout the project, for example, questionnaires, interviews, observations and workshops.Ethics and disseminationThe ethical conduct of the study is approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (2018/61309 and 489776). The results will be disseminated through scientific articles, three PhD theses, presentations at national and international conferences, and through publicly accessible trade journals and newspapers. The results will generate knowledge to inform supervision and assessment practices in nursing home placements. Moreover, the study will generate knowledge concerning the developmental process of a web-based supervision and assessment programme, and the value of e-learning tools applied in clinical nursing education.

Exploring the formal assessment discussions in clinical nursing education: An observational study

“…Other studies mentioned the need for more predictability to reduce their stress, so they feel more secure [ 22 , 43 ]. Similar findings are described in the study of nursing students’ experiences with clinical placement in nursing homes, where Laugaland et al [ 19 ] highlighted the vulnerability of being a first-year student. The students need to be informed about the purpose of the formal assessment discussions, so they prepare for them and feel less anxious consequently.…”

“…The study was conducted in three public nursing homes within the same municipality in Western Norway as part of a larger research project: “Aiming for quality in nursing home care: Rethinking clinical supervision and assessment of nursing students in clinical studies” [ 19 ]. The nursing homes varied in patient numbers and staffing but were highly motivated to participate in the research project anchored in the top management team.…”

“…Stakeholders have reported challenges with the assessment of students’ competence in clinical nursing education [ 2 , 17 – 19 ]. RN mentors report that they have trouble providing feedback and assessing student competence because of the absence of clear guidelines and assessment criteria [ 17 , 20 ].…”

“…This study is part of a lager project: Aiming for quality in nursing home: rethinking clinical supervision and assessment of nursing students in clinical practice (QUALinCLINstud) [ 19 ].…”

Assessing the quality of nursing clinical placement: A quantitative cross‐sectional study

“…Previous research identified a variety of elements that influence student experience, including preparation for placement, the supervision or preceptor model, and clinical setting services (Hanson et al, 2020; McKellar, 2017; Papastavrou et al, 2016). A variety of measures have been developed to assess the quality of the student experience (Laugaland et al, 2020; Mansutti et al, 2017).…”