Nursing students’ experience of research during clinical placements

Abstract

Aim To investigate pre-registration nursing students' experience of research during clinical placements, and to identify any positive aspects or barriers to gaining experience of research during clinical placements. Method Qualitative, phenomenological, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with preregistration degree-level nursing students. The students were attending one university in the east of England, and were on clinical placements at one of three hospital sites in two trusts. Data were reviewed using thematic analysis. Findings The main themes that emerged from the interview data were: visibility, mentor influence, placement culture, student mindset, and role of the university. The study participants provided suggestions that could be adopted by universities and trusts to improve nursing students' experience of research during clinical placements, such as increasing opportunities to shadow research teams, introducing research earlier in the pre-registration course, and including a practical research module in the course. Conclusion Nursing students' experience of research during their clinical placements varied. It is important for trusts and universities to identify ways to improve nursing students' experience of research and to enhance their research learning, since research activity drives innovation and best practice.

Enhancing nursing students’ awareness of the role of cancer research nurses to improve future recruitment

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“…Similarly, Mason (2018) recognised that pre-registration experiences of clinical research can inspire the research nurses of the future. However, Whitehouse (2017) suggested that nursing students' clinical research placements can vary in quality and that the topic of research nursing should be introduced earlier in undergraduate nurse education programmes to address misconceptions about it.…”

A pilot study exploring the effectiveness of a whole-school intervention targeting receptive vocabulary in the early years: Findings from a mixed method study involving students as part of a practice-based research placement

“…Findings from the nursing profession report that students negatively perceive research theory but that this perception changes when students experience the application of research methods to placement. After having had this experience, students reported an increase in confidence in applying research methods theory to practice and demonstrated a clearer appreciation of the benefits that research can have for clinical practice (Whitehouse, 2017). The lack of confidence in understanding evidence-based theory is something that student SLTs have also reported (Spek et al, 2013).…”