Student nurse perceptions of client groups and clinical placement areas

Changes in healthcare provision have exposed preregistration student nurses to a wider scope of client groups and education settings than previous generations of student nurses. Student placements now involve non-NHS care provision. Evidence suggests that students perceive certain client groups and education settings to be less pertinent to their professional development and less attractive with regard to future employment. This article presents the results of the first part of a mixed-methods approach study, investigating the above assertions. The students in this study appeared to regard caring for patients who have long-term/ chronic conditions receiving care in non-NHS, non-acute settings, as a less attractive prospect in terms of professional development, than short-term, acute, NHS-based care provision, i.e. medical, surgical and critical care areas. Students associated non-NHS areas with non-nursing tasks and the opportunity to practise basic nursing care, while the NHS was associated with high-level skills and access to preferred client groups. Nurse educators should challenge this imbalance throughout their student nurse education programme design and delivery.