References

Michel A, Ryan N, Mattheus D Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions on nursing education during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: a national sample. Nurs Outlook. 2021; 69:(5)903-912 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.05.004

Nursing and Midwifery Council. The code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. 2018. https://tinyurl.com/gozgmtm (accessed 27 January 2023)

Nursing and Midwifery Council. NMC statement: enabling student education and supporting the workforce. 2021. https://tinyurl.com/mv255t2y (accessed 27 January 2023)

Seah B, Ang ENK, Liaw SY, Lau ST, Wang W. Curriculum changes for pre-registration nursing education in times of COVID-19: For the better or worse?. Nurse Educ Today. 2021; 98 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104743

Ulenaers D, Grosemans J, Schrooten W, Bergs J. Clinical placement experience of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Nurse Educ Today. 2021; 99 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104746

Research placements: are they a suitable alternative for student nurses?

09 February 2023
Volume 32 · Issue 3

Abstract

COVID-19 has affected those undertaking courses in higher education, especially programmes in health care with clinical placements. Many student nurses were unable to undertake their planned clinical placements and had to adjust to self-directed learning and an increase in simulated learning. As a suitable alternative to clinical placements, a research placement for two second-year BSc adult nursing students was trialled, and this article presents an account from one placement. The academic team devised specific questions for students to consider for their research electives and provided a template for their written work with the aim of writing up a weekly report to reflect their learning. In particular, the students had to identify how their learning related to the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council code of conduct. The research placement was successful and shows great potential, offering students tangible opportunities to seek out the evidence for themselves and use it to inform their clinical practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on all aspects of society and presented previously unencountered difficulties for those in higher education and, in particular, those enrolled in clinically based degrees including nursing. Universities had to move swiftly from face-to-face teaching to online learning as countries went into lockdown to reduce transmission of SARS-Cov-2 (Seah et al, 2021). Across the globe, many student nurses were unable to undertake their planned clinical placements and had to adjust to self-directed learning and an increase in simulated learning. Several papers have highlighted the issues facing student nurses, which impacted not only their learning opportunities but also their psychological wellbeing (Michel et al, 2021; Ulenaers et al, 2021). One qualitative study from Belgium reported nursing students' practical worries relating to fewer learning opportunities as well as many requiring greater psychosocial support and the need for establishing regular contact with their clinical placement supervisor (Ulenaers et al, 2021). These findings were replicated in a survey of 540 student nurses across the USA who expressed the need for greater in-person clinical placements and strong academic and clinical partnerships (Michel et al, 2021).

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting British Journal of Nursing and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for nurses. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Limited access to clinical or professional articles

  • Unlimited access to the latest news, blogs and video content