Clinical placement among Malaysian nursing students: what are their challenges?

• Main Authors: Wan Mamat, Wan Hasliza, Nik Azmi, Nik Ilya Ilyana, Isa, Siti Nor Ismalina, Musharyanti, Lisa, Mohamad Shariff, Nurasikin
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan Universiti Putra Malaysia 2023
• Subjects: RT86.45 Clinical supervision of nurses. Mentorship
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/108176/7/108176_%20Clinical%20Placement%20Among%20Malaysian%20Nursing%20Students.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/108176/13/108176_Clinical%20placement%20among%20Malaysian%20nursing%20students_Scopus.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/108176/; https://medic.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/2023111410190005_MJMHS_0286.pdf; https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.19.6.6

Introduction: Nursing is a theory-practice course that requires high-quality and effective clinical education experi- ences. Clinical placement is one of the most important parts of nursing education; that can be challenging, stressful, and causes unpredictable changes. However, studies describing the challenges during clinical placement faced by nursing students are scarce. This study aimed to explore the challenges of Malaysian nursing students during a clini- cal placement at hospitals. Methods: A phenomenology qualitative study was conducted among nursing students at a public university in Malaysia. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data from October 2020 until No- vember 2020. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Five themes emerged from this study: 1) attitude of the nurse, 2) patient’s distrust, 3) student’s issues, 4) learning environment, and 5) theory-practice gaps. Conclusion: This study revealed that nursing students face many challenges during their clinical postings. Therefore, various methods could be applied to increase the quality of practical sessions. Additionally, further research is needed to assess the coping strategies used by nursing students in dealing with the challenges during their clinical placement and the effectiveness of the interventions taken by the authority in helping the students.