Perception of Nursing Students About Effective Clinical Teaching Environments: A Multi-Country Study

Abstract

Background The transition of nursing education from traditional methods to more advanced approaches is crucial for adequately preparing students to deliver competent care in tertiary care centers. Moreover, clinical faculty in nursing plays a key role in guiding nursing students through their clinical training in various healthcare settings. Purpose This study aims to describe the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students regarding the effectiveness of the learning environment and clinical teaching in clinical areas across various countries. Methods The study, conducted using a descriptive, cross-sectional research design, gathered data from 215 nursing students using the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory and Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Instrument. Data analysis included frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation, t-tests, analysis of variance, and correlation assessments to comprehend the impact of clinical teaching and learning environments. Results Nursing students’ perceptions of the clinical learning environment produced mean scores between 2.03 and 3.38 on a scale from 1 to 4, resulting in an overall mean score of 2.72 across 42 items. This indicates a general satisfaction with their clinical learning experiences. Regarding effective clinical teaching, the mean student responses varied from 3.02 to 3.40 out of a possible 5 points, with a total mean of 3.22. The study revealed notable correlations in the context of effective clinical teaching, particularly with demographic variables and the clinical learning environment. Specifically, a significant correlation with age ( r = .177, p = .009) and the clinical learning environment ( r = .572, p < .001) was identified. Conclusion The study concludes that students expressed overall satisfaction with their clinical learning experiences. They recognized the importance of participating in clinical training, fulfilling clinical responsibilities for assigned patients, exerting extra effort for learning, receiving support from preceptors in clinical settings, and being attentive to communications from staff. The collaboration between clinical preceptors and academic nursing lecturers is crucial in providing a positive learning environment for students to complete clinical tasks effectively.

An Exploration of Resilience and Positive Affect among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Observational Study

“…These changes may act as protective or risk factors in the development of diseases among new professionals. These findings may reflect the fact that, overall, nursing students are generally satisfied with their clinical learning experiences [42] and demonstrate that students are positively influenced by professors and their clinical practices, as other studies have suggested [43]. Despite evidence suggesting that confinement during COVID-19 had a negative impact on mood [39], our students were able to increase positive affect and decrease negative affect by the end of their training period, indicating that the influence of confinement was mitigated in the following years.…”