Nursing student perspective of learning in a clinical setting

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Pediatric Nursing
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Clinical practice is crucial for nursing education.
• Academically preparing nursing students to care for acutely ill infants presents unique challenges.
• Understanding student experiences is key to optimizing clinical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe nursing students' experiences learning to care for acutely ill infants.
• To identify student perspectives on their clinical learning environment.
• To understand how students define their roles and the roles of others in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing observation and ethnographic interviewing.
• Data collection focused on nursing students' learning experiences.
• Exploration of student perspectives in a pediatric clinical setting.

Main Results:

• Six primary goals emerged: avoiding patient harm, patient advocacy, integrating theory into practice, skill acquisition, and professional self-presentation as a student and nurse.
• Students defined their roles, instructor roles, and staff nurse roles.
• Students' perceptions of the learning environment influenced their engagement with the educational program.

Conclusions:

• Nursing students' clinical learning is shaped by a complex interplay of goals, role definitions, and environmental perceptions.
• Effective clinical education requires acknowledging and addressing students' multifaceted learning objectives.
• Optimizing clinical placements for pediatric care necessitates understanding the student perspective to enhance learning outcomes.