Nursing students' perceptions of clinical experience.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Learning
• Professional Socialization

Background:

• Understanding the student perspective is crucial for optimizing clinical nursing education.
• Clinical experiences are fundamental to developing competent and confident nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the clinical learning experiences of senior nursing students from their viewpoint.
• To identify key learning categories, influencing factors, and developmental stages during clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with senior nursing students.
• Thematic analysis was used to categorize learning experiences and developmental patterns.

Main Results:

• Students identified learning in nursing skills, time management, and professional socialization.
• Learning quality was influenced by preparation, instructor, and clinical opportunity variety.
• A three-stage developmental pattern emerged: rule-bound anxiety, role identification struggles, and increasing independence.

Conclusions:

• Clinical experiences facilitate essential learning and professional development in nursing students.
• Student progression through clinical practice involves distinct stages of adaptation and independence.
• Addressing factors influencing learning quality can enhance the effectiveness of nursing clinical education.