Nursing students' conception of clinical skills training before and after their first clinical placement: A quantitative, evaluative study

Education institution and practice field have a joint responsibility with regard to facilitating a learning environment for the nursing students that provides learning outcomes in accordance with the National Curriculum. Using simulated patient situations is about ensuring a safe learning environment where mistakes are not putting real patientsʼ lives in danger.The aim of the studyTo compare nursing studentsʼ experiences with a skills training situation immediately after the training and after their ten weeks clinical placement in nursing homes.Study designQuantitative, cross-sectional and evaluative.SampleFull- and part-time students in their first year of a Bachelor of Nursing degree.The students answered a questionnaire on two different occasions, immediately after skills training and after internship in a nursing home.FindingsBeing a “patient” and a “nurse” in simulation was experienced as useful to clinical practice. Students with previous experience had a significantly higher perception of mastering the procedure after the internship, while unexperienced fellow students did not report any significant increase with regard to a sense of coping during their clinical practice.The findings raise questions if there are aspects with the education institution or the practice field that should be improved to help facilitate a better learning process for students without any previous experience.