Abstract
Purpose: The clinical learning experience of nursing students is crucial for developing competencies and skills through experiential learning, facilitated by nursing faculty. The study aimed to assess nursing students’ perspectives of the clinical learning environment (CLE) and determine the faculty-student relationship-interaction patterns (FSRIP) in clinical areas. The study also explored the relationship between FSRIP and perceived CLE, and examined the association of socio-demographic variables with CLE and FSRIP.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sampling technique. Participants included 1013 B.Sc. Nursing students from various nursing colleges in Kerala, India, who were undergoing clinical placements in different hospitals. Data collection involved a 6-item demographic questionnaire, the undergraduate clinical education environment measure (UCEEM), and a faculty-student relationship-interaction pattern questionnaire (FSRIPQ).
Results: The majority of participants reported good (43.5%) and very good (22.7%) perceptions of the clinical learning environment (CLE), with the highest scores in the subscale ‘opportunities to learn through work’. The highest scores in the faculty-student relationship-interaction pattern (FSRIP) were observed in the subscale supporting academic-professional-cognitive growth. A highly significant, moderate positive correlation was found between FSRIP and CLE. Age and type of institution were significantly associated with CLE and FSRIP, respectively, while the year of study and place of previous clinical exposure were significantly associated with both CLE and FSRIP.
Discussion: The study demonstrated a positive perception of CLE that helped the learners to engage in meaningful tasks that fostered improved clinical learning outcomes, and a moderate good FSRIP among students. The perception of CLE and FSRIP were significantly associated with the participant’s year of study and also in accordance with the place of previous clinical exposure, i.e., whether it was in the parent hospital or affiliated hospitals.
Conclusion: The study showed that an effective and supporting nursing FSRIP can create a positive CLE contributing to successful academic performance and improving learning outcomes. Closer supervision, greater freedom, and flexible timings contributed to more favorable perceptions of CLE and FSRIP. Future studies should investigate the elements contributing to a more effective CLE among participants across different years of study and types of institutions, and also the impact of simulation and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) on student perceptions of CLE.
Recommended Citation
John, Bindu; Marath, Usha; Valappil, Sumathi P; Ulahannan, Chinnu; and Mathew, Deepa
(2025)
"Nursing Students’ Perspectives of Clinical Learning Environment in Experiential Learning and Faculty-Student Relationship-Interaction Patterns,"
Health Professions Education: Vol. 11:
Iss.
1, Article 15.
DOI: 10.55890/2452-3011.1326
Available at:
https://hpe.researchcommons.org/journal/vol11/iss1/15
