Nursing Students' Perceptions of the Quality of Teaching Supervision During Clinical Placements

Abstract

Introduction: During their placements in healthcare establishments, nursing students are assigned to members of the nursing staff who, as tutors, are responsible for supporting and assessing them as part of their professional training [1]. As such, it is vital that the hospital environments hosting these students pay the utmost attention to how these placements are carried out. This study explored our respondents' perceptions of the quality of teaching supervision during their clinical placements at the Bandundu general referral hospital (HGR). We opted for a qualitative, case study approach. Data were collected from individual, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 9 third-year graduate students. The aim of these interviews was to gather information based on the students' previous experiences of their placements. Materials and Method: The analysis method used for this research was content analysis, also known as thematic content analysis. The data were analysed using ATLAS.ti7 software. A main theme was identified for this study. Three sub-themes emerged from this central theme: students' perceptions of their needs in terms of teaching support, their perceptions of the teaching strategies used by the support staff, and their perceptions of the quality of the training provided by the support staff in the field. Results: With regard to teaching support needs, it is important to emphasise the lack of prior and intermediate assessment, the inadequacy of care materials, the excessive number of trainees, the lack of support for assessment, the failure to comply with placement objectives and the lack of autonomy, all of which appear to hinder students' learning progress in the clinical environment. With regard to teaching strategies, it is interesting to note that the methods of education, training and advice were more frequently mentioned than those of confrontation. With regard to the quality of training, the majority of participants judged supervision at the placement to be satisfactory. Conclusion: Although the majority of students were satisfied with the quality of the supervision they received at their placement, the results suggest the need for innovation in current approaches to clinical teaching in order to foster student autonomy and enable them to develop essential skills.