Enhancing quantity and quality of clinical experiences in a baccalaureate nursing program

Nursing programs encounter barriers to clinical education, which may include limited clinical capacity for nursing students. Congestion of clinical placements compounded by multiple external influences prompted a need to develop an alternative approach for meeting program standards pertaining to clinical education. A curriculum improvement project was implemented within a school of nursing with the primary goal of expanding clinical learning opportunities while maintaining program quality. The unique aspect of this project was a comprehensive evaluative design, including qualitative responses from students, faculty, and clinical site stakeholders, as well as standardized student test scores. Augmenting the tools and processes for evaluation of clinical learning required collaboration from the faculty. Project outcomes include expanded clinical capacity, increased variety of clinical learning experiences, and improved quality of the clinical experiences. Collaborative partnerships yielded valuable lessons, which have implications for other nursing programs challenged with clinical placements.