Clustering clinical learning environment and mentoring perceptions of nursing and midwifery students: A cross‐sectional study

AimsThis study aimed to explore nursing and midwifery students’ evaluation of the clinical learning environment and mentoring and to identify distinct student profiles relating to their perceptions.DesignThis study employed a cross-sectional design.SettingsThe study population included nursing and midwifery students in a university hospital in Finland.ParticipantsAll nursing and midwifery students who completed their clinical placement were invited to take part in the study in the academic year 2017–2018.MethodsThe data (N = 2,609) were gathered through an online survey using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale. The data were analysed using a K-mean cluster algorithm to identify nursing and midwifery students’ profiles.ResultsThe findings from this study indicate four distinct profiles (A, B, C, & D) of nursing and midwifery students in relation to the clinical learning environment and mentoring. Profile A (N = 1,352) students evaluated their clinical learning environment and mentoring to the highest level (mean varied from 9.44–8.38); and Profile D (N = 151)- to the lowest (mean varied from 5.93–4.00).ConclusionThe findings highlight that nursing and midwifery students evaluate their clinical learning environment and mentoring more highly when: they have a named mentor, student and mentor discuss learning goals, there is a final assessment in clinical learning, the mentor's guidance skills support student learning, the clinical learning supports the student's professional development and pre-clinical teaching in an educational institution supports learning in the clinical placement.ImpactClinical learning plays an important role in nurse and midwifery education. Mentoring of clinical practice was shown to have a great influence on students’ perceptions of their success in clinical learning. We suggest that clinical practice should be strengthened by the building of collaboration between nursing teachers and registered nurses.