The importance of the learning environment in clinical nursing education
A safe and inclusive learning environment is crucial for student nurses to be able to learn and study in a good way. For many students, supervised professional training in a nursing home context is their first period of practical training, as well as their first encounter with patients and their nursing role. Many students may find their first period of supervised professional training in a nursing home context emotionally demanding. Patients often have great needs regarding help and care, and many patients have different levels of cognitive impairment. Some students also experience their first encounter with death during their supervised professional training in a nursing home context. It is therefore of significance that you as a mentor is aware of providing the students with emotional support during the clinical placement period.
As a registered nurse mentor, you can help create a good and safe learning environment by showing interest in the students, and by including them in the working environment and the nursing home as an important learning arena.
“A good learning environment is appreciative, inclusive, respectful and supports student nurses’ learning and mastery.”
Good advice:
Offer the students a warm welcome
Giving students the experience of feeling expected and welcomed to the ward and nursing home, and being greeted with “we have been looking forward to your arrival” can help reduce stress.
Get to know the students and set aside time
Use the first shifts to get to know your student or students well and let them get to know you, fellow students, patients, staff and ward routines. This helps create a sense of security that frees up attention for learning.
Meet students with a positive interest and confidence in their knowledge and curiosity
Meet students with a positive attitude as well as trust and confidence in their knowledge, curiosity and learning opportunities. This can contribute to a sense of security. This type of attitude can support the students’ motivation to learn and promote the nursing home as a good learning arena.
Include students in the working environment
When students experience that they are part of a good and inclusive environment, it creates a sense of security that leads to good learning conditions.
“The registered nurse mentor is an important role model for the students, and can facilitate and help ensure that they experience good learning conditions during their supervised clinical placement period”
The students’ experiences from supervised clinical placement in nursing homes may influence their later choice of nursing home as an exciting and attractive workplace. Many nurses find it challenging to supervise students when the ward is busy, and that having sufficient time for student supervision can be perceived as being difficult to achieve.
Good advice:
Maintain dialogue with your manager
Maintain dialogue with your manager about how your work situation can best be adapted during the weeks where you are responsible for mentoring students during clinical placement.
Make a supervision schedule
Set aside time in the middle or at the end of a shift, or find a convenient time during the week to talk about student experiences and reflect on their learning process.
Delegate responsibility for the mentoring of your student
Delegate responsibility for the mentoring of your student to colleagues when you don’t have time yourself or are unavailable.
Offer students specific learning situations and tasks
Facilitate specific learning situations and tasks that you can reflect on together with your student before, during and afterwards, or at an appropriate time.
