Odei-Opoku HD¹*, Bam V², Acheampong K³, Kusi-Amponsah DA², Lomotey A² and Odei O¹

¹Department of Nursing, SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Kwadaso-Kumasi, Ghana
²Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
³Finance and Administration, A-B Excellent Academic Consult, Kumasi, Ghana

*Corresponding Author: Odei-Opoku HD, Department of Nursing, SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Kwadaso-Kumasi, Ghana.

Received: April 11, 2022; Published: July 15, 2022

Abstract

Clinical learning experience in healthcare facilities is widely accepted as a significant part of nursing education, and has therefore been described in literature as the heart of nurses’ professional training. The aim of the study was to determine student nurses’ view of the clinical learning environment and its contribution to achieving clinical learning outcomes. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 317 respondents who were sampled using random sampling technique. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25. The study found that: clinical students were given opportunity to experience work at various units of the health facilities, they were not very satisfied with the learning environment, and thus perceived clinical learning not that effective. Clinical learning was challenged by students’ anxiety and stress due to lack of orientation for students. Results indicate a positive correlation between clinical learning and students’ self-efficacy and the integration of theory and practice, both with p < 0.001. However, preceptors’ method of teaching has insignificant correlation with student clinical competence (0.137). Student nurses’ clinical learning experience positively correlates with their learning outcomes. It is recommended that nursing training institutions and clinical learning facilities ensure students are given the opportunity to experience work at various units or departments, integrate theories learnt in the classroom into actual practice and modify teaching methods for student nurses in clinical practice so as to sustain effective clinical learning experiences.

Keywords: Clinical Learning; Clinical Learning Environment; Clinical Practice; Student Nurses; Learning

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Citation

Citation: Odei-Opoku HD., et al. “Nursing Students’ Perception of the Clinical Environment in a Metropolitan Area in Ghana". Acta Scientific Women's Health 4.8 (2022): 50-56.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Odei-Opoku HD., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.