title: Nursing students' early exposure to clinical practice: an innovation in curriculum development.
abstract: This paper describes a pilot study addressing issues surrounding the balance and status given to both theory and practice in the foundation part of a pre-registration programme. Contemporary thinking seems to suggest that there is a need to reverse recent trends which have placed an emphasis on theory. To facilitate this a framework for clinical learning was adapted to guide students' early exposure to clinical practice. The focus was to develop the students' observational and reflective skills whilst also providing the students with a frame of reference within which they could explore their theoretical studies. The information and experiences gained as a result of this study have led to the integration of an Orientation Framework to support students' early clinical experiences in a pre-registration programme.
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Humphry Davy House, Golden Smithies Lane, Wath on Dearne, Rotherham, S63 7ER, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoyles
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lees
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glossop
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009742:Nursing Theory; D019370:Observation; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011588:Psychology, Educational; D012931:Social Environment; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013850:Thinking; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom