Enhancing healthcare students' clinical placement experiences

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Quality improvement in nursing

Background:

• Increased nursing student numbers in the UK necessitate improved clinical placement quality.
• A specific UK healthcare trust identified a need to enhance its clinical learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nursing, allied health professional, midwifery, and nursing associate students' clinical placement experiences.
• To identify areas for improvement in clinical placements within a large UK healthcare trust.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was conducted.
• Focus groups were utilized to gather in-depth feedback from 53 students.
• Qualitative data analysis identified key themes from student experiences.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged: team integration, support systems, and student preparedness.
• Students highlighted the importance of feeling like part of the team.
• Inadequate preparation for clinical environments was a significant concern.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the need for enhanced support and preparation for students in clinical placements.
• The trust implemented student-led clinical learning environments as an innovative solution.
• This initiative aims to provide a more effective practice-based experience for healthcare students.