Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Clinical Practice and Occupational Risk Perceptions

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Occupational Health Psychology

Background:

• Clinical practice is a cornerstone of nursing education, shaping future healthcare professionals' competencies and attitudes.
• Understanding nursing students' perceptions of occupational risk is crucial for ensuring their well-being and the quality of patient care.
• Existing literature highlights the need to explore the interplay between students' attitudes towards clinical settings and their awareness of workplace hazards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the attitudes of nursing students towards clinical practice.
• To assess nursing students' perceptions of occupational risk within their training.
• To examine the relationship between these attitudes, risk perceptions, and demographic factors like gender and professional knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with second-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students in Turkey.
• Data were collected and analyzed using statistical software (JASP and SPSS), employing Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
• The Bonferroni test was utilized to pinpoint specific group differences.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation (r=0.434, p=0.000) was observed between nursing students' occupational risk perception and their attitudes toward clinical practice.
• Mean scores indicated high levels for both occupational risk perception (68.74±15.04) and attitude towards clinical practice (100.04±24.83).
• Statistically significant differences in attitudes and risk perceptions were linked to gender (p<0.05) and adequate knowledge of the nursing profession (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Nursing students generally report high levels of occupational risk perception and positive attitudes towards clinical practice.
• Gender and the extent of knowledge about the nursing profession significantly influence these attitudes and perceptions.
• These findings underscore the importance of integrating comprehensive risk management education and professional orientation into nursing curricula.