The clinical learning environment during clinical practice in postgraduate district nursing students' education: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Aim To describe and compare the clinical learning environment in community‐based home care and primary health care in postgraduate district nursing students' education. Design Cross‐sectional study design. Methods A convenience sample of postgraduate district nursing students was derived from five Swedish universities in 2016 and 2017. Results The postgraduate district nursing students were generally satisfied with the clinical learning environment in their clinical placement. In clinical placement, several factors affected the students' opportunities to learn, such as sufficiently meaningful learning situations with multidimensional content. A working environment that imposed psychosocial strain and high levels of stress among the staff negatively affected the students' learning. To further improve their learning from clinical practices, the students need preceptors who have the skills and competence required to support more advanced reflections and critical thinking on caring situations.

Keywords

• clinical practice
• community‐based health care
• learning
• postgraduate nursing education
• preceptor
• primary health care