A Qualitative Study on Factors Affecting the Clinical Learning of Nursing students in College of Nursing, Kuwait

Abstract

The aims of the study were to identify the factors facilitating and hindering the clinical learning of nursing students in the College of Nursing, Kuwait. Clinical practice is a vital component of the nursing education. Nursing students encounter various problems during their clinical rotation. Identification of the factors that facilitate and hinder the clinical learning will provide a greater insight to develop an effective clinical teaching strategy in nursing education. A descriptive qualitative research design was used. The study included 120 nursing students selected through convenient sampling technique from level 2 to level 5, Associated Degree in Nursing Program.  Data was collected via focus group interviews with five students in each group. All interviews were recorded using an audio recorder and the transcripts of the interviews were coded. Data obtained were categorized under the factors affecting clinical learning of nursing students.  Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Two main themes were recognized through analyzing the data were facilitating factors and hindering factors. The various categories of facilitating factors included clinical practice, clinical supervision, clinical instructors, team factors, client related factors, students’ personal factors and laboratory practice. Excellent opportunities for learning, more hands on experiences, availability of equipment, continuous supervision as small working groups, educational behavior of clinical instructors, cooperative staff, effective communication with peer groups and clinical teachers, client cooperation and acceptance, personal motivation and effective laboratory practice  stimulated the clinical learning of students as perceived by the participants of the study. In contrast, the students identified hindering factors like clinical teachers’ incompetence, non-supportive staff, fewer opportunities to practice skills, patient refusal, language barrier, rejection, and blaming by the staff, teachers and clients. In addition, personal factors such as less English proficiency, family responsibilities, inadequate clinical hours, early clinical timings and standing for too long were the main hindering factors of clinical learning identified by the students. In conclusion, the research results provide an in depth understanding of nursing students’ clinical experiences in Kuwait. Deeper understanding of the factors affecting the clinical learning of the students help to draw the attention of various personnel involved in nursing education, practice and administration for the factors which facilitate or hinder the quality of learning experience among the nursing students.

Keywords: Qualitative study, factors affecting, clinical learning, nursing students