title: Nursing students' assessment of the learning environment in different clinical settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nursing students perform their clinical practice in different types of clinical settings. The clinical learning environment is important for students to be able to achieve desired learning outcomes. Knowledge is lacking about the learning environment in different clinical settings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to compare the learning environment in different clinical settings from the perspective of the nursing students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with comparative design was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from 185 nursing students at three universities by means of a questionnaire involving the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T) evaluation scale. An open-ended question was added in order to ascertain reasons for dissatisfaction with the clinical placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nursing students' satisfaction with the placement did not differ between clinical settings. However, those with clinical placement in hospital departments agreed more strongly that sufficient meaningful learning situations occurred and that learning situations were multi-dimensional. Some students reported that the character of the clinical setting made it difficult to achieve the learning objectives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the planning of the clinical placement, attention must be paid to whether the setting offers the student a meaningful learning situation where the appropriate learning outcome may be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, S-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden. Electronic address: birgitta.bisholt@kau.se.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bisholt
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.affiliation: School of Health, University of Borås, Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta Kullén
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annelie Sundler
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012931:Social Environment; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical learning environment; Clinical placement; Nursing education research; Nursing students