Preceptors’ nursing and midwifery students’ experience of clinical placements at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

Background: Clinical placement training is a back bone of nursing training. The competencies acquired through clinical environment training have a greater role in their lifelong learning and practices. Therefore, the nature of the clinical environment enables students integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired from theory to practice. Although, more research has been done to establish, whether nursing staff support nursing and midwifery students during clinical placements, little is understood about the experiences of student nurses and midwives of their clinical learning environment. Thus, the study aimed at exploring experiences of nurse/midwifery students as well as clinical preceptors regarding clinical placements at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital. The objectives of the study were to explore: 1) opinions and views of nursing/midwifery students and preceptors regarding clinical placements; 2) challenges of nurse and midwifery students during their clinical placements; and 3) possible solutions of addressing the challenges faced by nurse and midwifery students during clinical placements at Kabale regional referral hospital. Methodology: A qualitative explorative study design approach was adopted for the study. The participants included 40 nursing and midwifery students undertaking clinical practicum at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital and 5 preceptors. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants, data collected using 5 focus discussion groups and 5 key informant interviews. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Study findings: Five themes that is; Perception on clinical placement, clinical experience, challenges during clinical placements, opinions on and suggestions for improving clinical placement, opportunity for mentorship. Clinical placement offers a platform for nursing students to learn and development work readiness skills, improve their knowledge in relation to different clinical procedures by applying theory into practice. Nursing students encountered challenges like limited resources, harsh treatment from preceptors, limited orientation as well as sexual harassment especially for female nursing students Conclusion: Students and preceptors generally had positive perceptions towards clinical placements. However, there is need to make clinical learning environment more conducive and safer for all nursing students through delivery of in-service capacity building training in relation to clinical instruction for preceptors and development of workplace safe guarding policies respectively.