Experiences of Nurses on Their First Placement - Assignment Example

Student ID* S Postal Address (must be completed by all students) Number & Street or PO Box Title  Mr  Mrs  Ms  Miss  Dr  Other Surname* Suburb / Town Given Names* State Postcode Preferred Name (optional) Country (if outside Australia) Are you an International Student*  Yes  No Contact Phone 1 ( ) Date of Birth D D M M Y Y Y Y Contact Phone 2 ( ) Unit Code* Lecturer name* Unit Name* Assignment Title* Charles Darwin University is unable to accept and process assignments without a completed assignment cover sheet. PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE REVERSE OF THIS FORM. Due date* Posting date * Semester  Semester 1  Semester 2  Summer Semester  Term 1  Term 2  Term 3  Term 4 Have you applied for an extension?  Yes  No Experiences of nurses on their first placement Nurses experience a lot of challenges while undertaking their studies. One of the major challenges is the one regarding on their placements. Placements are an integral part of the nursing education. This sets up a ground for the student to be exposed to the practical world. The theories taught are put into practice; ways of helping the student develop skills of critical thinking in the work place. If the nurse is exposed to the stress in the work place, she develops adaptation skills that assist in her in managing with all the challenges that may arise later on in their job (Brammer, J. 2006). Many scholars have researched on this issue and came up with some of the challenges that nurses face on their first placements. Four major issues came up as a result of the same. The first issue was that of being overwhelmed and confrontations in the workplace, some of them were viewed as preceptors in their placement areas. The issues of self-awareness and confidence, initial clinical anxiety, theory-practice gap, clinical supervision and professional issues were also discussed. It is from this research that we see a deeper insight of the students’ experiences under the subjection of the milieu of acute clinical placements. This paper will discuss some of these challenges in detail and how they negatively affect the students during their endeavors in their placements. Initial clinical anxiety This topic was brought by a collective inclusion of students in groups where they highlighted the difficulties they underwent at the commencing of the placement. Anxiety was identified as a problem at the start of clinical placement by almost all students, and also the worry of providing false information to patients was raised as an issue. Studies have shown that progression of experience and training gave many students, actually all fourth year students, and a relief from stress from the initial placement anxiety which was a major threat in their first placements (Ainsley and Ysanne 2010). Lack of knowledge by many students in their first placements gave them the fear that they may harm a patient and was another cause of anxiety in initial clinical experience. Another student also expressed the fear of failure and making mistakes concerning nursing procedures as a cause of anxiety. They recommended the ward as the best place to acquire skills and learn but very little of the learner’s needs are met in this environment. Cases such as evaluation by others on first clinical experience, total patient care, interpersonal relations with staff, weight of care and procedures are anxiety producing. The nursing students clearly indicated that initial clinical experience is very stressful for them. Students in the second year experienced more anxiety compared to the third year and fourth year students (Hartigan-Rogers, Cobbett, Amirault and Muise-Davis, 2007). Theory-practice gap The topic theory-practice gap rose from all focus discussion where almost all learners in the sessions illustrated in some way the absence of integration of theory into clinical practice. The literature explains that there is a difference between theory and practice. It has been illustrated by Ainsley and Ysanne (2010). The evolvement of practice theory, theory which is evolved from practice, for practice, is a method of minimizing the theory-practice gap. Maben, Latter, and Clark, J. (2006), suggest that by reconsidering the connection between theory and practice, the gap can be done away with. He argues that facilitating reflection on the facts of clinical life by attending to theorists will minimize the theory-practice gap. The theory-practice affects mostly the learning nurses. They find themselves confused between the wants of their tutor and learning nurses in real clinical scenarios and find it impossible to generalize from what they acquired in theory. From this explanation, it is true to say that there is a great inconsistency between theory and clinical practice. A lot of gaps have to be filled in the curriculum if the nursing students have to gain the maximum benefits from their clinical placements. The perception of parity and consistency on the theory aspect of learning and practical is therefore very essential for successful practice by the student nurses. The use of clinical laboratories is mandatory in the learning environments while undertaking practical. The nurses were subjected to washing mannequins during their class work which was totally different in their practical whereby they were expected to clean real patients. It is this personal interaction with the patients that made most of them tire and worked up during their practical. Some of them could not simulate this kind of relationship in such a short time especially with no support with the elderly nurses. Clinical supervision Clinical supervision is accredited as developmental chance to build clinical leadership. Collaborating with the practitioners through the milieu of clinical control are powerful methods of enabling them understand attractive clinical practice. Clinical nursing supervision is a progressive systematic process that encourages and supports advanced professional practice. According to Wellard, Woolf, and Gleeson, (2007), the clinical nurse supervisors ethical worth system is part of his/her process of verdict making. Clinical supervision by Head Nurse (Nursing Unit Manager) and staff nurses was also another matter analyzed by the students in group sessions. Some stated that they are taught mostly by the head nurse or other nursing staff whereas the ward staff don’t care about what they learn but are usually busy with their duties and fail to take on both educational and service roles. Some students also explained how some nursing staff have positive interaction with the students and also have the interest in aiding the students in the clinical placement but unaware of the skills and strategies that are key in clinical education. The students frequently mentioned their instructors’ task as an evaluative person. The greater part of the learners had the perception that their tutors have a more evaluative task than a teaching task. Professional role One observation that was frequently articulated by learning nurses in the group sessions was that students frequently thought their work was not ’really professional nursing’ they were confused by what they had acquired in the faculty and what in reality was likely to be obtained from them in practice. The function of the professional nurse and nursing auxiliaries was part of the issues raised by one of the leaner’s in that; the task of auxiliaries as registered practical nurse and nurses aids are similar with the role of professional nurse. Staying in course for four years gives a leaner the fact that nursing is a professional job but the sight of seeing Nursing Aids doing the same things; it is not worthy considered a professional job. Conclusion After careful research, discrepancies were recorded among various students in their clinical practice. Most students noted that their experiences on their first clinical placements were unpleasant. Some alleged that they were not well prepared to undertake this practical especially regarding report writing and handovers (Brammer, J. 2006). Interpretations of results after laboratory practical confirmed to be a great challenge by the practicing nurses. Others had difficulties relating to their patients in the clinic. There was no emotional aspect in the clinic by the elder nurses. They could however not come to terms with this fact. Other students complained that they were treated as naives. This led to their boredom and irritation during their practice. One complained that when found feeding a patient on her first day, a nurse told her that it would only be a matter of days and she will tire of it. This made her feel irritated and unappreciated but could not let her anger get the better of her by virtue of being a student nurse. It is such instances that question the clinical placements as channels of promoting learning outcomes in student nurses (Hutchings, Williamson, and Humphreys, 2005). Professionalism was also questioned by the practicing nurses. They claimed the elderly nurses forgot the policy that nursing is more than a salary-based job. Though some patients act in an unreasonable way at times, the nurses should ensure that all patients are cared for at all times. These practicing nurses had no one to look up to in such a crucial time due to the disheartening experiences encountered. The nurses claimed that when they tried to ask for information when mixed up, they were ignored and fobbed off. They lacked empowerment and often felt vulnerable. It is a horrible feeling a burden on an already overstrained staff. This was no exceptional to these students on their first placements. Basically, the outcome of learner’s views towards clinical experience showed that they were not content with the clinical component of their education. Four topics of concern were raised, that is; initial clinical anxiety, theory-practice gap, clinical supervision and professional role. These are among the myriad reasons hypothesized for some of the students in their first placements discontinuing with their studies. The clinical placements attest to the need to improve the issue especially to the students in their first time. References Ainsley, J. and Ysanne, J. 2010. Preceptors and Patients - the Power of Two: Nursing Student Experiences on their First Acute Clinical Placement: Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, Vol. 34, No. 1, Dec 2009 - Jan 2010: 34-47. Brammer, J. 2006. A phenomenographic study of Registered Nurses' understanding of their role in student learning - An Australian perspective. International Journal of Nursing Studies 43(8): 963-73. Hartigan-Rogers J, Cobbett S, Amirault, M. and Muise-Davis, M. 2007. Nursing graduates' perceptions of their undergraduate clinical placement. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 4(1): 1-12. Hutchings, A., Williamson, G., and Humphreys, A. 2005. Supporting learners in clinical practice: Capacity issues. Journal of Clinical Nursing 14(8): 945-55. Maben, J. Latter, S. and Clark, J. 2006. The theory-practice gap; impact of professional -bureaucratic work conflict on newly-qualified nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2006; 55(4): 465-477. Wellard, S. Woolf, R. and Gleeson, L. 2007. Exploring the use of clinical laboratory in undergraduate nursing programs in regional Australia. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 4(1). Read More

From this explanation, it is true to say that there is a great inconsistency between theory and clinical practice. A lot of gaps have to be filled in the curriculum if the nursing students have to gain the maximum benefits from their clinical placements. The perception of parity and consistency on the theory aspect of learning and practical is therefore very essential for successful practice by the student nurses. The use of clinical laboratories is mandatory in the learning environments while undertaking practical.

The nurses were subjected to washing mannequins during their class work which was totally different in their practical whereby they were expected to clean real patients. It is this personal interaction with the patients that made most of them tire and worked up during their practical. Some of them could not simulate this kind of relationship in such a short time especially with no support with the elderly nurses. Clinical supervision Clinical supervision is accredited as developmental chance to build clinical leadership.

Collaborating with the practitioners through the milieu of clinical control are powerful methods of enabling them understand attractive clinical practice. Clinical nursing supervision is a progressive systematic process that encourages and supports advanced professional practice. According to Wellard, Woolf, and Gleeson, (2007), the clinical nurse supervisors ethical worth system is part of his/her process of verdict making. Clinical supervision by Head Nurse (Nursing Unit Manager) and staff nurses was also another matter analyzed by the students in group sessions.

Some stated that they are taught mostly by the head nurse or other nursing staff whereas the ward staff don’t care about what they learn but are usually busy with their duties and fail to take on both educational and service roles. Some students also explained how some nursing staff have positive interaction with the students and also have the interest in aiding the students in the clinical placement but unaware of the skills and strategies that are key in clinical education. The students frequently mentioned their instructors’ task as an evaluative person.

The greater part of the learners had the perception that their tutors have a more evaluative task than a teaching task. Professional role One observation that was frequently articulated by learning nurses in the group sessions was that students frequently thought their work was not ’really professional nursing’ they were confused by what they had acquired in the faculty and what in reality was likely to be obtained from them in practice. The function of the professional nurse and nursing auxiliaries was part of the issues raised by one of the leaner’s in that; the task of auxiliaries as registered practical nurse and nurses aids are similar with the role of professional nurse.

Staying in course for four years gives a leaner the fact that nursing is a professional job but the sight of seeing Nursing Aids doing the same things; it is not worthy considered a professional job. Conclusion After careful research, discrepancies were recorded among various students in their clinical practice. Most students noted that their experiences on their first clinical placements were unpleasant. Some alleged that they were not well prepared to undertake this practical especially regarding report writing and handovers (Brammer, J. 2006). Interpretations of results after laboratory practical confirmed to be a great challenge by the practicing nurses.

Others had difficulties relating to their patients in the clinic. There was no emotional aspect in the clinic by the elder nurses. They could however not come to terms with this fact. Other students complained that they were treated as naives. This led to their boredom and irritation during their practice. One complained that when found feeding a patient on her first day, a nurse told her that it would only be a matter of days and she will tire of it.

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