Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in assessing hospital learning environments.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Clinical education is integral to pre-registration nursing programs.
• It allows students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical skills.
• Optimizing clinical time is essential for effective skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nursing students' perceptions of their hospital learning environment.
• To identify discrepancies between the actual and preferred clinical learning environments.
• To inform strategies for enhancing clinical education.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data.
• Development and validation of the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory.
• Analysis of student perceptions of their learning environment.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were found between students' perceptions of the actual and preferred clinical learning environments.
• Students generally perceived their learning environment less favorably than they preferred.
• Quantitative and qualitative findings corroborated each other.

Conclusions:

• Nursing students perceive a need for improvement in their clinical learning environments.
• The findings highlight opportunities to create more supportive and effective clinical placements.
• Enhancing the clinical learning environment is key to developing competent nurses.