Nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment in placements outside traditional hospital settings

Abstract

Aims and objectivesTo explore students' opinions of the learning environment during clinical placement in settings outside traditional hospital settings.BackgroundClinical placement experiences may influence positively on nursing students attitudes towards the clinical setting in question. Most studies exploring the quality of clinical placements have targeted students' experience in hospital settings. The number of studies exploring students' experiences of the learning environment in healthcare settings outside of the hospital venue does not match the growing importance of such settings in the delivery of health care, nor the growing number of nurses needed in these venues.DesignA survey design was used.MethodThe Clinical Learning Environment Inventory was administered to two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n = 184) after clinical placement in mental health care, home care and nursing home care.ResultsNursing students' overall contentment with the learning environment was quite similar across all three placement areas. Students in mental health care had significantly higher scores on the subscale individualisation, and older students had significantly higher scores on the total scale. Compared with other studies where the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory has been used, the students' total scores in this study are similar or higher than scores in studies including students from hospital settings.ConclusionResults from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings.Relevance to clinical practiceStudents' experience of the learning environment during placements in mental health care, home care and nursing homes indicates the relevance of clinical education in settings outside the hospital setting.

Nursing students’ experiences of clinical placement in community settings: A qualitative study

“…This resonates with findings from previous research which highlights that undergraduate nursing students appreciate the learning opportunities they are exposed to in placements outside the hospital setting (Bjørk et al, 2014;Halcomb et al, 2012;Peters et al, 2013)(Authors Own). One of the most positive aspects of their clinical placement in a community setting was the slower pace which meant that the supervising nurse could spend additional time with them.…”

“…Much of the contemporary clinical placement literature focusses on placements in acute care settings (Bjørk, Berntsen, Brynildsen, & Hestetun, 2014). This reflects the continuing predominance of acute care placements within contemporary nursing education (Health Workforce Australia, 2013b).…”

Nursing Students’ Clinical Learning Environment in Norwegian Nursing Homes: Lack of Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies

“…Satisfaction, personalization, and involvement have the highest scores, as is found in most studies that use the CLEI [46]. The innovation subscale has the lowest mean in this study.…”

perception of indonesian nursing students regaring caring behavior and teaching characteristics of their clinical nursing instructors

“…It prepares the students for their professional role, provides them with opportunity to apply knowledge and skills (O'Connor, 2001). Results from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings (Bjørk, Et al, 2014). Four themes emerged from the focus group data.…”