Project Materials

NURSING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CLINICAL NURSING TRAINING

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to analyse nursing students’ perspectives of clinical nursing training in select nursing schools in Enugu State. Five precise objectives and two null hypotheses were developed to lead the research. Descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The nursing curricula and student class levels were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. The study included a total of 442 nursing students. Data was collected using a self-created questionnaire in the form of a four-point modified Likert scale with a reliability of 0.970. The questionnaire was delivered to pupils in the classroom, with a 99.77% response rate. The questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive and t-test statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The results were shown in a table as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings demonstrated that nursing students had positive impressions of clinical placement, clinical teaching, and clinical evaluation, but had a negative perception of clinical supervision. Nursing students in universities and hospitals had significantly different perceptions of clinical training (P-value < 0.05). Male and female nursing students perceived clinical training similarly (P-value > 0.05), whereas female nursing students perceived clinical supervision negatively. It is consequently advised that enough clinical supervisors be employed and that equal attention be provided to both male and female students, as well as university-based and hospital-based nursing students throughout clinical training, among other things. Additional research ideas were also proposed.

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Nursing education consists of acquiring a body of knowledge that is partially delivered in a classroom setting and serves as the theoretical foundation of nursing knowledge, as well as an organised and supervised clinical training experience that takes place in a clinical setting where the nurse-patient relationship is experienced directly or indirectly (Sheriff & Masoumi, 2005).

Clinical nursing training is the most crucial stage in reforming nursing education because it is central to preparing nurses for clinical settings and providing safe and excellent patient care. Students must be provided with high-quality, engaging clinical experiences.

Clinical nursing training is a practical strategy for preparing prospective nursing students to practise as nurses (Emerson 2002). The clinical practicum is the heart and soul of nursing education, transforming nursing knowledge into professional practice (Diekelmann, 2004).

Thus, during clinical training, student nurses gain basic information and abilities, as well as the capacity to apply knowledge in actual nursing practice.

Barnes, Sutphen, Leonard, and Day (2009) also said that practical nursing education is a crucial component of nursing education, accounting for more than half of the nursing curriculum.