[Students, clinical nurse preceptors and academic tutors' perception and experience in relation to the implementation...

analyse students, clinical nurse preceptors and academic tutors' perception and experience further to the implementation of a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) in a pulmonary medicine ward.

The study follows a qualitative descriptive method. Data have been collected through focus groups (FGs). We have organized four different FGs, a specific focus group for each stakeholder (students, nurses and tutors) and a closing one with everybody. Each FG followed a qualitative content analysis method. Students had to fill in the CLES+T questionnaire to confirm qualitative data.

Participants: 6 tutors, 7 nurses and 10 students (i.e. 6 first-year, 2 second-year and 2 third-year students). The experience has been positive. We have found four different themes, both cross-sectional and specific, in relation to positive aspects. 1. Briefing and debriefing as discussion and learning opportunities (cross-sectional); 2. Peer education potentialities (cross-sectional); 3. Global and holistic care (students); 4. Academic tutors as ward resources (cross-sectional). In relation to critical aspects, instead, we have highlighted a macro-theme, which refers to "Organizational peculiarities" and is composed of three subthemes: 1. Workload (tutors and nurses); 2. Inhomogeneity in nurses and tutors' behaviour/attitude (cross-sectional); 3. Lack of a personal relationship between students and training assistants (students). All the ameliorative proposals are related to organizational peculiarities.

This study reports the first Italian experimentation of the DEU training organization model. The experience has been very positive: it has not only promoted a moment's reflection but also provided the opportunity for both the Clinical and the Academic setting to discuss and collaborate to reach the common goal, i.e. best student learning.