title: The difference in learning culture and learning performance between a traditional clinical placement, a dedicated education unit and work-based learning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An experiment was carried out on the bachelor's degree course in nursing with two new clinical placement concepts: workplace learning and the dedicated education centre. The aim was to establish a learning culture that creates a sufficiently high learning performance for students.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to look for a difference in the "learning culture" and "learning performance" in traditional clinical placement departments and the new clinical placement concepts, the "dedicated education centre" and "workplace learning"; (2) to assess factors influencing the learning culture and learning performance; and (3) to investigate whether there is a link between the learning culture and the learning performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-randomised control study was carried out. The experimental group consisted of 33 final-year nursing undergraduates who were following clinical placements at dedicated education centres and 70 nursing undergraduates who undertook workplace learning. The control group consisted of 106 students who followed a traditional clinical placement. The "learning culture" outcome was measured using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale. The "learning performance" outcome consisting of three competencies was measured using the Nursing Competence Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The traditional clinical placement concept achieved the highest score for learning culture (p<0.001). The new concepts scored higher for learning performance of which the dedicated education centres achieved the highest scores. The 3 clinical placement concepts showed marked differences in learning performance for the "assessment" competency (p<0.05) and for the "interventions" competency (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traditional clinical placement, a dedicated education centre and workplace learning can be seen as complementary clinical placement concepts. The organisation of clinical placements under the dedicated education centre concept and workplace learning is recommended for final-year undergraduate nursing students.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Study Area, VIVES University College, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claeys
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Study Area, VIVES University College, Belgium.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deplaecie
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Study Area, VIVES University College, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vanderplancke
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Study Area, VIVES University College, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Delbaere
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, University Center for Nursing and Midwifery, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dries
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Myny
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, University Center for Nursing and Midwifery, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dimitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beeckman
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Study Area, VIVES University College, Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, University Center for Nursing and Midwifery, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhaeghe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001530:Belgium; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dedicated education unit; Learning culture; Learning opportunities; Learning performance; Mentors; Nursing competencies; Traditional clinical placement; Work-based learning