title: Nursing students' perceptions of using the Clinical Education Assessment tool AssCE and their overall perceptions of the clinical learning environment - A cross-sectional correlational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical education is a vital part of nursing students' learning; the importance of assessment tools and feedback in stimulating student learning has been stressed, but this needs to be studied in more detail.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine relationships between nursing students' perceptions of using an Assessment tool in Clinical Education (AssCE) during their mid-course discussion and final assessment, the content discussed during these meetings between the student, preceptor and nurse teacher and the students' overall perception of the clinical learning environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, correlational design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 110 nursing students from one Norwegian university college with two campuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected with self-developed questionnaires and analysed using logistic regression with SPSS and the PROCESS macro for mediation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a positive relationship between nursing students' perceptions of using the assessment tool AssCE and their overall perception of the clinical learning environment. This relationship was, in turn, mediated by the content discussed during the formative mid-course discussion and summative final assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our conclusion is that the assessment tool AssCE supported students' clinical learning and that this relationship, in turn, was mediated by the degree to which the conversation during the assessment meeting focused on the student's knowledge, skills and professional judgement.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden; Nursing Department, Medicine and Health College, Lishui University, China. Electronic address: Maria.Engstrom@hig.se.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Sweden; Faculty of Health Education, Stord/Haugesund University College, Norway. Electronic address: Anna.Lofmark@hig.se.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Löfmark
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Education, Stord/Haugesund University College, Norway. Electronic address: karen.vae@hsh.no.
authors.forename: Karen Johanne Ugland
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Vae
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. Electronic address: Gunilla.Martensson@hig.se.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mårtensson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Clinical education assessment tool; Clinical learning environment; Feedback; Nursing students