title: Unravelling the complexities of nursing students' feedback on the clinical learning environment: a mixed methods approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical placement is an essential part of nursing education, and students' experiences on clinical placement can affect the quality of their learning. Understanding nursing students' positive and negative perceptions of clinical placement experience is therefore important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe nursing students' satisfaction with their clinical placement experiences and identify any variations in satisfaction based on demographic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mixed methods - online survey with qualitative items.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four universities in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students (n=213) enrolled in an undergraduate nursing degree.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2010 and 2012, students completed online surveys following their clinical placement experiences. The surveys included demographic questions and the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI-19), a 19-item tool measuring students' satisfaction with clinical placement. The surveys included two open-ended questions asking students to share their most satisfying and challenging experiences whilst on placement. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 213 participants, those in health-related employment and those with English as an additional language (EAL) were less satisfied with the clinical facility and with clinical facilitator support respectively, as indicated by the CLEI-19 subscale scores. Qualitative findings showed students were positive about the opportunity to make a difference and be involved in nursing, and negative about clinical facilitator support. Nevertheless, those who were most critical in their written comments about their placement were those who only spoke English at home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the study found overall satisfaction with clinical placement, the lower satisfaction reported by students in health-related employment, and the mixed findings regarding language spoken and satisfaction, warrant further attention.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: y.salamonson@uws.edu.au.
authors.forename: Yenna
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salamonson
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: b.everett@uws.edu.au.
authors.forename: Bronwyn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.affiliation: University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: ehalcomb@uow.edu.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halcomb
authors.affiliation: Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Electronic address: marie.hutchinson@scu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.affiliation: University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: debra.jackson@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: j.mannix@uws.edu.au.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mannix
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: k.peters@uws.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kath
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address: r.weaver@uws.edu.au.
authors.forename: Roslyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011231:Preceptorship; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Clinical learning experience; Mixed methods approach; Nursing education; Nursing students; Student satisfaction