Nursing was my cousin’s idea, at first I wasn’t convinced about this noble course but being no other option I had to oblige. I started my Classes and they were very enjoyable but little did I know that clinical experience was not going to be a walk in the park, but God’s grace was sufficient, I completed my course successfully though I had convinced myself I won’t go back to do anything with nursing again.
Years later am back to school to pursue my higher diploma in critical care nursing and have realized I still have a phobia of facing my clinical experience, this is due to the challenges that one being a student has to endure.
Nursing education has become a priority concern for our society today due to the high demand for nurses worldwide, In Nursing learning is not limited to lecture halls and skills labs only, clinical facilities are of great importance in acquiring skills. Students gain experience in dealing with specific clinical situations this enables them to be independent during real situations enabling them to respond well to situations, Despite all these benefits from the clinical experiences students are faced with several challenges that cut across the clinical area environment, the students themselves and clinical instructors.
To start with, clinical area challenges include:-
📑Shortage of clinical and instructors,
📑Lack of adequate resources,
📑Lack of adequate time to practice,
📑Strained interpersonal relationship between students and other healthcare practitioners
📑Knowledge- theory gap and lack of motivation among.
Some students quit the nursing program prematurely and this is attributed to dissatisfaction and challenges during the skill acquisition period, If student nurses are going to continue learning from the unfriendly clinical environment the nursing profession will be full of nurses with inadequate skills who may fail to meet the golden nursing standards.
Some staff lack interest in guiding and mentoring students, they see them as people they can do without, and others treat students as people who have come to relieve them of their duties. students are excessively blamed for all mistakes than happen in the unit. They are used to cover shortages.
Recommendation:
The staffs need to consider nurses as the potential for the profession, guide, counsel, support and be patient and kind to them.
Resources should be adequate to enable students to acquire the skills required during their placement. This means that training schools should be within a training hospital with all required resources.
Students should be willing to learn and apply the knowledge acquired in class to bridge the knowledge–theory gap.
Thank you for taking the opportunity to read this piece.
Article By:
Fridah Mburunga
Critical Care Nurse Student.