The Experiences of Nursing Students, Instructors, and Hospital Administrators of Nursing Clerkship

Abstract

Introduction: Most studies concerning clinical education of nursing students have been performed qualita-tively. This study was performed to more deeply investigate the students’ education at nursing clerkship and explore the experiences of nursing students, instructors, and hospital administrators from the clinical educa-tion of nursing students. Methods: In a qualitative study a semi-structured interview was done with 8 nursing students at the end of clerkship, four nurses working as ward administrators, an education supervisor, and two supervising instructors. Qualitative content analysis was employed for analyzing the data. Results: Six central variables were realized (emerged) including lack of readiness for entering into clinical learning environment, undesirability of student assessment process, lack of advantageous relationship between the nursing school and the hospital, ideal planning for clerkship shifts, deficiency in clinical educa-tion, and the effects of clerkship on hospital and patients' affairs. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, it is necessary for the nursing administrators to place more effort to resolve the present problems specially the relationship between the nursing school and the hospital, and to renovate hospital into a favorable learning space to meet educational goals of nursing clerkship

Keywords

• clinical education
• nursing
• qualitative research
• qualitative study
• obstacles in clerkship
• nursing student.