Professional Experience Placement

Caliskan Ozturk, Baykara, Korkut and Karadag (2012) undertook a study to determine how nursing students applied the basic psychomotor skills they learned during simulation activities as part of their academic studies component of their course. The authors indicated that clinical experience was the most important component of nursing education and is unique because students acquire actual experience with live situations using critical thinking processes and practice the skills they have learned in the classroom. This experience has the potential to cause harm to patients and therefore clinical supervisors, facilitators or preceptors play a vital role in guiding and supporting student decision-making and activities.

This study was undertaken over two years and included 80 student nurse respondents.  The data collection tool was comprised of two sections.  The second part of the tool focused on 50 procedures in relation to 14 practices oriented at clinical skills acquisition. The findings of the project indicated that for students to be well prepared for the clinical setting psychomotor skills training needed to be well-structured. Additionally, the combination of theoretical knowledge and practice was essential.  Importantly students required ample opportunity to practice and receive feedback. Regular repetition of the professional skill and being able to convey it in practice in the clinical setting was important for student progression towards competency.

There implications of this study for clinical supervisors because students’ do  not develop or have access to a uniform educational experience.  Therefore some students due to their placement experience have more opportunity to practice their ‘thinking like a nurse’ or undertake particular activities or procedures in various settings. The lack of practice does not mean a student is less competent or satisfactory, it merely indicates they may have had less exposure or practice in the activities being undertaken.  It is the clinical supervisors role to determine whether the student requires remediation or further practice. It also raises questions about providing students prior to placement with opportunities to practice skills they may not have used for some time. Access to a practice laboratory with opportunity for feedback from clinicians may be useful for enabling students to practice their nursing in a safe environment and reduce anxiety about performing in the practice setting.  If you have any comments or suggestions about supporting students in professional experience, please post them here.

Caliskan N, Ozturk D, Baykara ZG, Korkut H and Karadag A (2012). The effect of periodic training on the clinical application of nursing students’ psychomotor skills. Procedia-Social and Behavioural Sciences 47 286-791.