Undergraduate Nursing Student Perspectives About Challenges in Clinical Education in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical education is an essential element in a baccalaureate nursing program, providing nursing students with the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that are required to deliver professional nursing care after graduation. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the student perceived challenges associated with nursing instruction in the clinical environment. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to identify the challenges associated with clinical instruction from the nursing students’ perspective. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 187 nursing students from three universities in Jordan, including one public and two private. Results: The major challenges to clinical education were fear of committing mistakes; lack of facilities for students; lack of knowledge among community and patients about the nursing profession; fear of infection; lack of availability of equipment in the clinical setting; students’ lack of preparedness and skills in planning care; and lack of collaboration from clinical staff. Conclusion: Identifying the challenges is necessary to formulate strategies to address them, to improve curriculum designed and clinical education for nursing students accordingly.