Evaluation of Clinical Education Status from the Viewpoints of Nursing Students

Introduction: Researching the current status of clinical education guarantees development of nursing profession in future. The aim of this study is to assess clinical education status from the viewpoints of nursing students. Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study in Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences in 2008, 133 nursing students (in clerkship and internship course) were selected through convenience sampling. A researcher made questionnaire including 33 questions about strengths and weaknesses of clinical education was distributed among the samples. Data were analyzed by SPSS software through descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The mean and standard deviation of scores for clinical education status were 3.49±.78 and 3.14±.6 according to clerkship and internship students, respectively. The most important strength point in clinical education was for “students awareness of clinical evaluation at the beginning of practical period” with mean score of 4.64(clerkships) and 4.27(internships) and the most important weakness point was for “ the ward not cooperating with the students” with mean score of 1.4 and “inappropriate coordination of theoretical learning with clinical practice”(mean score of 2.1). Conclusion: Clinical education quality was estimated to be moderate. Improving positive aspects and modifying the weaknesses is an effective step in promotion of clinical education. Also, one may suggest education authorities to make an appropriate clinical learning environment.