title: Undergraduate nursing students' perspectives on clinical assessment at transition to practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessment of clinical competence requires explicitly defined standards meeting the national standards of the nursing profession. This is a complex process because of the diverse nature of nursing practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the perceptions of final-year undergraduate nursing students regarding clinical assessment at transition to practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted. Twenty-four students participated in three focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five themes emerged: the need for a valid and reliable clinical assessment tool, the need for a flexible style of reflection and specific feedback, the dynamic clinical learning environment, students' efforts in learning and assessment, and the unclear support system for preceptors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workload, time, resource availability, adequate preparation of preceptors, and the provision of valid and reliable clinical assessment tools were deemed to influence the quality of students' clinical learning and assessment. Nursing leadership in hospitals and educational institutions has a joint responsibility in shaping the clinical learning environment and providing clinical assessments for the students.
authors.affiliation: a Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre , Block MD 11, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597 , Singapore.|b School of Health and Welfare , Jönköping University , Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Xi Vivien
authors.initials: XV
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: a Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre , Block MD 11, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597 , Singapore.
authors.forename: Wenru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: c Department of Education and Practice , Nursing Service, Tan Tock Seng Hospital , 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433 , Singapore.
authors.forename: Lay Hoon
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Pua
authors.affiliation: d Nursing Education , National University Hospital , 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Level 13, Singapore 119228 , Singapore.
authors.forename: Doreen Gek Noi
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: b School of Health and Welfare , Jönköping University , Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enskär
mesh_terms: D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: clinical assessment; clinical nursing education; transition to practice; undergraduate nursing students