No abstract

The findings suggest that preceptorship should be examined through new lenses. Moreover, preceptorship is an ethical issue that should be recognized by all stakeholders.

Background: Differences in quality of clinical education and support to students occur and there are demands for a unification of higher education in Europe. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the nursing students' experiences of their first clinical education period in relation to learning and professional development. Methods: The sample consisted of 139 nursing students from Finland and Sweden. The data was collected by questionnaire and analyzed statistically. Findings: Students' experiences of clinical competence were examined from four perspectives: clinical preception, learning, learning objectives and reflection. Overall, students rated highly, however there were statistically significant differences among the students concerning nationality and length of clinical education. Students did not always get a clear picture of what was expected of them in clinical education and there were deficits in continuing feedback. Students' clinical learning was associated with the length of clinical education. Conclusions:Clinical preceptoring as a catalyst in student's understanding and learning is central. Students rated learning of tasks and skills higher than abilities that require more reflection and consideration, which may indicate a more task-centered preception. A conscious didactic approach would help students to reflect and develop into professionals in nursing and caring science.