Female Saudi Nursing Students’ Experiences of their Clinical Learning Environment: A mixed methods study

The quality of clinical experience in a supportive clinical learning environment is a significant matter for nursing education. The quality of clinical learning is often a mirror to the quality of curricula implied in the educational institution. Therefore it is of importance that a continuous assessment of the clinical setting as learning environment is applied. The nursing students’ satisfaction is considered to be a critical factor in such assessment because their feedback will contribute positively in optimising the learning activities within the clinical setting.
   
   The aim of this research was to explore the quality of clinical education in nursing education in Saudi Arabia by identifying factors within the clinical learning environment which affect students’ outcomes, and measuring nursing students’ experiences and satisfaction with their clinical environment. This study used a mixed methods approach to gather data from nursing students during their undergraduate courses. Altogether, 112 nursing students were asked to complete the Clinical Learning Environment and Nurse Teacher scale (CLE+T) developed by Saarikoski, Isoaho, Warne, and Leino-Kilpi (2008). Furthermore, nine people from the same group participated in semi-structured interviews.
   
   The initial aim of the research strategy was to seek a detailed understanding from students of their perceptions of the CLE by using a mixed methods approach. Due to limited knowledge on the CLE in Saudi Arabia, it was considered to be an appropriate strategy for providing a holistic understanding of the topic. A number of topics emerged from the data including: cultural issues and struggles; need for guidance; and the clinical learning environment. These issues are important if CLE for nursing students in Saudi Arabia is to improve.