Issues with health student pre-placement clinical compliance: a mixed methods study

Objectives: The aims of the study were to: a) reveal the insights from Clinical Experience department staff on their observations of difficulties encountered by first-year nursing students in completing their pre-placement requirements; b) identify first year nursing students’ challenges of completing the pre-placement requirements within the expected timeframe; and c) retrospectively describe second-year nursing students’ experiences of completing their pre-placement requirements during the preceding year of study.

Background: Before entering clinical practice, nursing students are required to meet specified pre-placement clinical mandatory requirements. Yet many nursing students find the process challenging.

Study design and methods: A multi-method approach using quantitative and qualitative data through questionnaires and interviews. A questionnaire gathered retrospective data from students who had completed pre-placement clinical requirements in the previous year (n = 69). Focus groups investigated first year students experience in meeting the pre-placement clinical requirements (n= 6) and staff interviews (n=3). Data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Results: Content analysis revealed central themes related to clinical safety, support structures and the need for the naïve novice to balance both life and University demands. Staff interviews had four emerging themes: Communication, Engagement in processes, Conflicting Information, and Technological Issues. The importance of meeting the pre-placement clinical requirements was only recognised retrospectively by the students after having experienced a clinical placement.

Conclusion: The implications for improving pre-placement clinical requirements for first year students could include the implementation of ‘traffic light’ symbols, as a guide to which requirement needs attention immediately, (red) what needs forward planning (yellow) what can be completed later (green). Establishing a contact person(s), drop-in sessions and on campus health clinics could assist in ensuring accurate and timely information for first year students.