Perceptions and experiences of diploma nursing students towards clinical learning and teaching. A qualitative study

Abstract Background: The quality of nursing education depends largely on the experience student receive in the clinical environment. The learning environment is complex with factors that may positively or negatively influence students learning. The study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of diploma nursing students toward their clinical learning and teaching. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study design was employed. A purposive sampling using a criterion strategy was applied to enroll participants. Focus-group discussions were conducted to collect the data and a thematic analysis was done. Results: A total of 32 Participants were enrolled from 4 schools, 19 were females and the age ranged from 19 to 25 years. Four main themes emerged during the discussions, which were unsatisfactory clinical supervision and teaching, drawbacks to clinical learning and teaching, insufficient clinical educational planning, and confusion about nursing professional identity. Conclusion: From students' perspectives, the main challenges during clinical placements are unsatisfactory supervision, student congestion in wards, poor planning of rotations, and confusion about nursing professional identity. Regarding these challenges, students perceived negative impacts on clinical learning.