Nursing Students’ Perspectives on Effective Clinical Education: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: The aim of effective clinical education is promoting critical thinking and increasing students’ confidence in their ability to perform professional responsibilities. Despite numerous quantitative studies, this concept still is not clearly defined. This study aimed to investigate nursing students' perception of the effective clinical education concept. Methods: A qualitative research using conventional content analysis was applied. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 23 nursing students. The participants were recruited by purposeful sampling of nursing students at Urmia nursing and midwifery school. Results: Qualitative content analysis demonstrated three original categories from nursing student's perspective about effective clinical education: 1- factors related to clinical instructor 2- factors related to learning environment 3- factors related to the learner. Each category contained subcategories. Conclusion: Effective clinical education requires provision of facilities and the necessary equipment for the clinical environment, application of communication skills, and availability of knowledgable and competentable clinical instructors with managerial skills who implement theoretical content in practice and motivate nursing students and promote their self- confidence.