INVESTIGATE CLINICAL PLACEMENT SATISFACTION AMONG NURSING STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: Clinical placement is a fundamental component of nursing education, enabling students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical skills in real healthcare settings. The quality of the clinical learning environment significantly influences students' professional development, competence, confidence, and future career decisions. Despite its importance, nursing students frequently encounter challenges such as inadequate supervision, insufficient clinical resources, poor communication with staff, and limited learning opportunities, which may negatively affect their clinical placement satisfaction.

Objective: To investigate clinical placement satisfaction among Post RN nursing students enrolled in public and private sector universities in Peshawar.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study is conducted among 100 Post RN fourth-semester nursing students selected through simple random sampling from public and private sector universities in Peshawar. Data are collected using a standardized and validated Clinical Placement Satisfaction questionnaire after obtaining ethical approval and informed consent.

Results: A total of 100 nursing students participate in the study. The mean age of participants is 24.8 ± 2.3 years, with 58% female and 42% male students. Overall, 72% of students report satisfactory clinical placement experiences, while 28% express dissatisfaction. Students report high levels of satisfaction regarding support from clinical instructors (78%), opportunities to perform clinical procedures (74%), and professional relationships within the clinical setting (71%). Lower satisfaction is observed regarding availability of learning resources (55%) and workload distribution (49%).

Conclusion: Most nursing students demonstrate satisfactory clinical placement experiences; however, deficiencies in clinical resources, supervision consistency, and workload management remain important concerns. Strengthening clinical supervision, improving resource availability, and enhancing collaboration between educational institutions and clinical sites may further improve students' clinical learning experiences.