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STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

STUDENT EVALUATION OF CLINICAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT

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added, based on the applied cognition literature (Bevil & Gross, 1982; Peirce, 1991; Slavin,<br />

1997).<br />

An item addressing the range of learning opportunities at the site was also added, as a<br />

result of multiple student comments about learning opportunities on the open-ended items of the<br />

initial instrument as well as from further literature review (Farrell & Coombes, 1994; Reilly &<br />

Oermann, 1992). In addition, eight items asking about clear communication of student<br />

responsibilities, whether students are encouraged to identify and pursue learning opportunities,<br />

whether students were allowed increased independence as their skills improved, if they<br />

experienced difficulty obtaining assistance when needed, whether adequate support was provided<br />

during attempts at a new skill, whether the student found responsibilities overwhelming, if<br />

nursing students helped each other, and whether the atmosphere was conducive to learning were<br />

added, based on review of both the applied and traditional classroom learning literature (Cust,<br />

1996; Fraser & Fisher, 1983; Slavin, 1997).<br />

Two questions were removed from the instrument, due to the perception that not all<br />

nursing students would have adequate prior knowledge and experience to make reliable<br />

judgements about the items. The forced-choice items asking whether students felt their<br />

preceptor/resource nurse was prepared to serve as a resource to students and requesting student<br />

recommendation about future use of the agency as a clinical education site were removed during<br />

instrument revision. If either of these issues were critically important to a particular student s/he<br />

could comment on them via the open-ended questions.<br />

The forced-choice instrument items encompass four predetermined factors or scales:<br />

communication and feedback, learning opportunities, learning support and assistance, and<br />

department atmosphere (see appendix B for a list of items within each scale). The four scales are<br />

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