Obstetrical staff nurses experiences of clinical learning

• Sometimes nurses decline to work with students due to difficulties providing an optimal CLE.
• Some nurses working with students may not advance personally or professionally.
• Nurses' working with students balance need to accomplish their work with provision of quality nursing care.
• Nurses exert a long lasting influence on students learning, feelings about CLE, and future nursing practice.
• Nurses desire students to be prepared for and actively engaged in the CLE.

The clinical learning experience is used in nursing programs of study worldwide to prepare nurses for professional practice. This study's purpose was to use Naturalistic Inquiry to understand the experiences of staff nurses in an obstetrical unit with undergraduate nursing students present for clinical learning. A convenience sample of 12 staff nurses, employed on a Family Birth Center, participated in semi-structured interviews. The constant comparative method as modified by Lincoln and Guba was used to analyze data. Five themes related to staff nurses experiences of clinical learning were identified: Giving and Receiving; Advancing Professionally and Personally; Balancing Act; Getting to Know and Working with You; and Past and Present. This research highlights staff nurses' experiences of clinical learning in undergraduate nursing education. Staff nurses exert a powerful, long lasting influence on students. A need exists to prepare and judiciously select nurses to work with students. Clinical agencies and universities can take joint responsibility providing tangible incentives, financial compensation, and recognition to all nurses working with nursing students.