Project Materials

 EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENT MIDWIVES

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to determine if and how student midwives’ clinical experience affected their academic performance. The research will include 200 participants, all of whom are nursing students from different institutions in the state of Akwa Ibom. The researcher collected data via the use of questionnaires. The researchers in this study used a descriptive survey approach. The research drew from a pool of 133 participants, including seniors, juniors, seniors, and pupils in years 2–4. Tables were used to display the data, and basic statistics like percentages and frequencies were used for analysis.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A person’s attitude greatly influences their ability to accomplish objectives, understand the impact of their actions, and make sense of complicated information. Clinical settings, student-staff interactions, clinical preceptors, and the accessibility of essential equipment in hospitals might influence students’ attitudes towards clinical practice.

Work quality might suffer if individuals don’t care about what they do. Among healthcare professionals, midwives and nurses make up over 50%. Therefore, health care quality might be severely impaired if midwifery and nursing staff have an unfavourable attitude. After finishing high school, students in Nigeria immediately enrol in degree programs in nursing and midwifery, which need extensive practical training to develop the necessary competences.

Both academic and practical aspects are included in nursing programs. The “art and science of nursing” (p. 19) is defined by Mabuda, Potgieter, and Alberts (2008) as the integration of theory and practice in the clinical context. Practical experience in healthcare settings is essential for aspiring nurses. The clinical setting does more than only help nursing students hone their abilities; it also helps them feel like real-life professionals. This is because, as part of their curriculum, nursing students work under the supervision of licensed nurse practitioners and/or teaching staff in a clinical setting to fulfil the clinical component of their education. According to Fowler (1996), as described in Brunero and Stein-Parbury (2008), Clinical supervision is “a process of professional support and learning in which nurses are assisted in developing their practice through regular discussion time with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues” (p. 87). “Clinical supervision affords nurses the chance to enhance patient care, both for a specific patient and in the aggregate with regard to sustaining standards of care,” Brunero and Stein-Parbury (2008) put it (p. 87). According to Mabuda, Potgieter, and Alberts (2008), a supportive and suitable learning environment is crucial for clinical supervision and learning to take place. Reason being, such kind of setting would impact the happiness and success of nursing students (Mabuda, Potgieter, & Alberts, 2008).

Statement of the Problem
Students enrolled in the nursing degree at the school that conducted the research have been required to complete a seven-week clinical rotation at a local hospital. During and after their clinical rotation, these nursing students report back to their supervisors on their impressions of the clinic, interactions with patients and their families, and any difficulties or triumphs they may have encountered. There has been a lack of rigorous quantitative study on this issue, despite the students’ informal replies and their performance at the conclusion of the course.

According to the literature, there have been a handful of research conducted in this field from different parts of the globe. For example, Adjei, Sarpong, Attafuah, Amertil, and Akosah (2018) investigated the viewpoints of nursing students at a Ghanaian private institution. Similarly, Mabuda, Potgieter, and Alberts (2008) looked at what nursing students went through during clinical rotations at different schools.

Nursing students at Iran’s Shiraz University of Medical Sciences have been the subject of research by Sharif and Masoumi (2005) and Jamshidi, Molazem, Sharif, Torabizadeh, and Kalyani (2016), respectively, looking at the difficulties they face while attempting to learn clinical skills. Clinical practice at Bonafide Benguet State University-College of Nursing in the Philippines was the subject of research by Tiwaken, Caranto, and David (2015), among others. Mattila, Pitkajarvi, and Eriksson (2010) investigated the experiences of foreign student nurses in clinical practice within the Finnish healthcare system while they were in Europe. Across all of these global studies, qualitative methods predominated in order to delve into the experiences of nursing students both during and after clinical practice.

One possible explanation for the large gap between theoretical frameworks and actual clinical practice is a difference in mindset. Effective clinical learning is enhanced by maintaining a positive attitude towards clinical practice. However, developing vital therapeutic abilities is impeded by a pessimistic outlook. Consequently, it is essential to identify the gap in clinical practice in order to enhance the quality of midwifery and nursing education.

Objective of the Study
The goals of the research are;

1. Determine the midwife’s perspective on clinical experience

2. To gauge the correlation between student midwives’ clinical experience and their grades

3. To catalogue problems that nursing students had when they were on clinical rotations.

Research Hypotheses

The research was based on the following hypotheses:

HO: A midwife student’s academic success is unrelated to their clinical experience.

HI: A midwife student’s academic success is correlated with their clinical experience.

HO: The nursing students had a successful clinical practice placement with no problems.

H1, when nursing students are on their clinical practice placement, they run across problems.

Significance of the study

It is anticipated that the research would provide valuable insights into nursing students’ clinical experiences and placements, which will benefit both nursing educators and students. To begin with, the findings may be helpful for the nursing educators at the participating institution as they will show how the nursing students saw their clinical practice and where they felt they needed more support. Furthermore, by addressing course issues, it has the potential to improve future nursing students’ learning experience.

Scope and limitation of the study
This research aims to assess how student midwives’ clinical experience affects their academic performance. The researcher ran across a roadblock that made the study’s scope too small;

a) RESEARCH MATERIALS AVAILABILITY: The researcher does not have enough research materials, which limits the investigation.

b) TIME: Since the researcher needs to juggle other academic responsibilities and exams with the study, the allotted time does not allow for broader coverage.

Definition of Terms

Clinical experience: For Medicaid purposes, clinical experience is defined as full-time or equivalent part-time employment providing direct behavioural health services to children and adolescents with mental illness diagnoses. This includes supervised internships, practicums, and field experiences.

The term “midwife” refers to a specific kind of healthcare provider who specialises in supporting both mothers and infants throughout the postpartum period. In contrast to the medical specialities of obstetricians and perinatologists, midwives have training and education more akin to that of registered nurses.

Achieving both immediate and long-term educational objectives is what we mean when we talk about “academic achievement” or “academic performance” for learners, educators, and schools.