Nursing students' clinical performance issues and the facilitator's perspective: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Development
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Clinical placement is crucial for nursing students to gain practical skills under supervision.
• Clinical facilitators play a vital role in ensuring safe and competent student practice.
• Understanding student performance issues is essential for effective nursing education and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify clinical performance issues from the perspective of clinical facilitators.
• To examine the link between nursing students' academic and clinical performance.
• To explore factors influencing student performance and course attrition.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted.
• Searched five electronic databases and grey literature without date limitations.
• Included primary and secondary research papers, with fifteen meeting the inclusion criteria.

Main Results:

• Top clinical performance issues identified: poor communication skills, inadequate knowledge/clinical incompetence, and unprofessional behavior.
• A relationship was found between academic and clinical performance.
• Negative experiences were identified as influencing students' decisions to withdraw from their courses.

Conclusions:

• There is a notable lack of literature on clinical performance from the facilitator's viewpoint.
• Further research is needed on student characteristics influencing clinical performance and attrition.
• Addressing identified performance issues is critical for improving nursing student success and retention.