12.01.2013 Views

STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

development of different skills and they are often not within direct view of the instructor. It is<br />

also the case that instructor assistance may not be immediately available to the students. In the<br />

applied learning setting, students interact with several other people in addition to their peers and<br />

the instructor. Professionals in the applied setting often serve as mentors for students, but may<br />

have little formal instruction in mentoring or in creating an environment conducive to student<br />

learning. These additional variables inherent in an applied learning setting further highlight the<br />

importance of assuring the adequacy of the environment in these learning situations.<br />

The clinical nursing education context is a prime example of an applied learning setting.<br />

Undergraduate education in nursing provides a foundation for nursing practice in a variety of<br />

settings with clients in all stages of the lifespan. The clinical component of nursing education is<br />

critical to the overall curriculum, as it provides realistic experiences and allows learners to<br />

“apply knowledge to practice, to develop problem solving and decision making skills, and to<br />

practice responsibility for their own actions” (Reilly & Oermann, 1992, p. 115). Although<br />

typical baccalaureate nursing students spend between eight and sixteen hours per week in a<br />

clinical learning environment (Polifroni, Packard, & Shah, 1995), the mere passage of time in the<br />

clinical environment does not itself ensure clinical competence (Scheetz, 1989) or a positive<br />

clinical experience. A number of variables, including student, faculty, resource staff, and clinical<br />

environment factors interact to contribute to student learning outcomes. In order to ensure that<br />

students experience a clinical education environment that supports learning, the factors<br />

impacting learning in that context must be identified and evaluated. Standard III of The<br />

American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and<br />

Graduate Nursing Programs (1997) states that the environment for teaching, learning, and<br />

3

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!