Dataset Information

Clinical placement experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our society is profound, not least for the healthcare sector. On the one hand, this exceptional situation created unprecedented learning opportunities for nursing students. Yet, on the other hand, this situation can jeopardise nursing students learning trajectory.

Objectives

To study nursing students' experiences during clinical placement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Cross-sectional survey design.

Settings

Clinical placements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants

Nursing students from nine Belgian nursing schools.

Methods

All students enrolled in nursing education are eligible to participate. The survey consists of five dimensions: demographics, risk perception, self-efficacy, support and communication, and resilience.

Results

The gaps that were identified by students focused on the need for more psychosocial support, establishing (regular) contact with their clinical placement supervisor, recognition of the difficult work situation, and the need for more space to unwind.

Conclusions

Nursing students expressed a strong need to be heard, prepared, and supported. Most students felt supported by their nursing schools. Because of COVID-19, the role of the preceptor became more important. However, due to several reasons, the perceptor did not always meet the student's expectations. Preparing students for specific competencies is needed. In spite of the efforts of nursing schools and clinical sites, students often got lost in the chaos of the pandemic. This resulted in practical worries, fewer learning opportunities, and even fundamental doubts about their choice to become a nurse. Finally, it crucial that nursing schools and clinical sites communicate about matters such as the responsibility for testing nursing students, the provisions of uniforms and personal protective equipment, and structurally sharing guidelines with students to provide safe patient care.

SUBMITTER: Ulenaers D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7803623 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Clinical placement experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Ulenaers Dorien D Grosemans Joep J Schrooten Ward W Bergs Jochen J

Nurse education today 20210113

<h4>Background</h4>The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our society is profound, not least for the healthcare sector. On the one hand, this exceptional situation created unprecedented learning opportunities for nursing students. Yet, on the other hand, this situation can jeopardise nursing students learning trajectory.<h4>Objectives</h4>To study nursing students' experiences during clinical placement during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional survey design.<h4>Settings</h4>Cli ...[more]

PMID: 33545565

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Project description:AimThis study explored the clinical placement experiences of nursing students during the Covid-19 pandemic.BackgroundThe health emergency caused by Covid-19 required a rapid reorganisation of care settings. This reorganisation entailed revisiting the clinical placements settings and learning programs of Italian nursing faculties. Some Italian universities wanted to seize the health emergency as a learning opportunity enabling the nursing student to acquire additional knowledge and skills.DesignWe conducted a descriptive qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach. The study population was second and third-year nursing students. The students did their clinical placement in 5 Northern Italy hospitals, mainly in infectious diseases wards, intensive care and sub-intensive care units, emergency department, short-stay surgical units and internal medicine wards. In these departments, the inpatient wards were entirely converted into Covid-19 units. Ethical approval was obtained from the local ethics committee.MethodsSemi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted in March-April 2021 and analysed following a phenomenological approach.ResultsTwenty-one nursing students in their 2nd and 3rd academic year participated. Their average age was 24 years. 81% were female and 19% were male. Three main themes were generated: (i) Learning which surpasses technicalities; (ii) Confronting dignity issues; (iii) Feeling treated as an equal in the workspace. Students had to learn how to lower their fear and self-manage the emotional burden to be a caring presence for the patients who were intensely suffering from the disease and isolation. Attending a clinical practice placement in Covid-19 wards led them to focus on human dignity issues: participants realised how dignity was questioned and how they could become patients' advocates. Students also described that they felt part of the team, with their student role almost fading.ConclusionsThis study describes that the most unpredictable public health emergency, such as Covid-19, can provide learning opportunities in the practice environment for nursing students. Students described feeling useful and capitalising on new competencies. Designing educational activities for nursing students concerning pandemic emergencies may be strategic for dealing with similar situations in the future.

Project description:BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis, in some countries such as Spain, nursing students have offered to provide health assistance, but the role they have played, their degree of preparedness to face the situation, and what must be improved in their training to be ready for these situations is unknown.ObjectiveDescribe the experience and perceptions of students of the Nursing university degree during their participation as health support in the COVID-19 health crisis in Spain.DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional survey study.Method503 students enrolled in the 4th course of the Nursing degree in Spain during the months of March and April 2020. An online questionnaire was developed, based on a pilot study and distributed through the Nursing Association, students' unions and students' associations. Variables were used to describe their participation, degree of preparedness and training needs to determine how to improve training through descriptive statistics, as well as nonparametric tests to analyse the relationship between training and degree of preparedness nursing students. Results are reported according to the STROBE Statement.Results73.2% (368) of students offered to participate in healthcare aid, of which 225 were actively involved. 27.8% carried out nursing tasks without supervision, and 47.7% assisted COVID-19 patients as any other nurse. Only 3.4% felt very prepared to work in the field of intensive care, finding that those students who perceived a higher degree of preparedness had received previous training in personal protective equipment and mechanical ventilation (p < 0.005). The highest scores for training activities that may improve their preparedness were simulations to improve levels of anxiety and stress when managing critical patients, simulation in ventilatory support and mandatory practices in services where ventilators are used.ConclusionsAlthough three out of four students were willing to provide health assistance, they recognise that they were not specially prepared in the field of intensive care and demand training with simulation to improve anxiety and stress levels in the management of critical patients and simulation in ventilatory support.Relevance to clinical practiceStudents have been vital resources for our health system and society when they have been needed. It is now up to us, both teachers and health authorities, to share their efforts by implementing the necessary improvements in training and safety measures not only because these affects the health and safety of the patient, but because they will be essential parts in future pandemics.

Dataset Information

Clinical placement experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background

Objectives

Design

Settings

Participants

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Clinical placement experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Similar Datasets

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