Students' Perceptions of Field Experience Professional Development: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The movement of the health care and education professions from an apprenticeship model in the early half of the century to the tertiary education sector has brought an awareness of the key role field experience or practicum plays in professional development. The literature has demonstrated that field experience during teacher education and clinical education is a valuable part of preparation for entry into the teaching and nursing professions. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the perceptions of final year students from three distinct undergraduate field experiences. Queensland University of Technology students from adult and workplace education, secondary education, and nursing participated in the study. Data were collected through a series of focus group interviews with groups of five to nine participants across the three discipline areas. Students described their expectations of the practical side of their learning and the learning outcomes that eventuated during the practicum.

“Relational Transformation”: A Grounded Theory of the Processes Clinical Nurse-Educators (CNEs) Use to Assist Students Bridge the Theory-Practice Gap<br /> &nbsp;

“…Clinical nursing experiences play an essential role in enabling students to develop nursing skills and competencies necessary to ensure positive patient outcomes. Through clinical nursing experiences, nursing students develop technical, interpersonal, and communication skills that prepare them for life as professionals (Adams, 2002;Ali, 2008;Dunn, Ehrich, Mylonas, & Hansford, 2000). Nursing students complain of the theory-practice gap when exposed to the professional and organizational realities of clinical practice areas because what they have been exposed to in classrooms are not precisely what obtains in the clinical areas.…”

Teaching and Learning of Clinical Competence in Ghana: Experiences of Students and Post-Registration Nurses

“…Clinical nursing education refers to the strategies adopted by Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) to ensure that nursing students develop clinical competence, either in the skills laboratory or in real-life clinical settings, in order to meet the standards set by nursing councils for qualification and registration as nurses [ 1 ]. Clinical nursing education provides the platform for nursing students to actualize theory in direct patient care activities and, by so doing, be socialized to the real-world demands of the nursing profession [ 2 ]. Therefore, a critical link exists between the quality of clinical nursing education experience and the development of clinical competence.…”

Indicators of a Quality Clinical Placement in Pharmacy: Stakeholder Perspectives

“…Although pharmacy education has been replaced from an apprenticeship model to tertiary education, the educative role of experiential workplace placements has been discussed in the context of many health professions including pharmacists. 1 Arrangements for clinical placements in Australian pharmacy schools are highly variable. Students are supervised by a workplace supervisor or preceptor and undertake a range of pharmacy practice tasks, which are often outlined in handbooks or portfolio guidelines.…”