When pursuing various careers, people undertake internships. In nursing, the internship is a necessity, is incorporated into the course, and is called a clinical nursing placement.
Clinical placement in nursing is when nursing students focus on the practicalities of clinical nursing work rather than academics. It is not the case that when nursing students take a clinical semester, they stop learning but instead get to use the knowledge they’ve built up in a working environment. Nursing clinical placement builds on the student’s prior knowledge in class. Different universities have different arrangements for clinical nursing placement. However different they may be, they must match the general requirements that ensure one qualifies to register for a licensing examination. What is the importance of clinical placement in nursing?
Develop nursing skills
Clinical placement in nursing school helps nursing students develop nursing skills. Although most nursing schools have skill laboratories, the students can only polish the skills they have learned when they employ them in real-life settings, such as hospitals. They also learn new nursing skills not learned in the skills laboratory, such as effective communication, since the dummy patients usually do not talk back. They also have other skills such as documentation and hands-on skills such as injection, cannulation, laboratory sample withdrawal, bathing patients, feeding them, and taking vital signs. Learning and polishing these nursing skills helps prepare one for future nursing practice. The University of Indianapolis offers nursing courses with comprehensive and beneficial nursing clinical placements. Clinical placement in nursing plays a significant role in shaping a student nurse and a nurse.
Network for the future
The nursing students meet with colleagues from different nursing schools during clinical nursing placement. Their interaction helps to establish and build their social lives. It also helps with networking as the students meet other professionally qualified nurses. Networking is essential because it helps with career growth, job opportunities, internship opportunities, and workplace problem-solving. Networking also helps student nurses and qualified nurses develop a support system. This is key because student nurses need support navigating their school and clinical placement. Networking also helps nurses and student nurses influence the healthcare system and see that the desired positive change can be fulfilled. Generally, networking for nursing presents unlimited positive opportunities that may be immediate or unlocked in the future after completion of nursing school.
Learn how to work effectively
Learning nursing roles and responsibilities is important for growing as a student nurse. The duties that a student nurse will undertake during clinical placement are unlimited. The roles of a nurse include being an educator, an advocate, a caregiver, and a researcher. A student learns to work effectively and perform these roles. During working hours, they learn to collaborate with other student nurses, nurses, families, patients, and other healthcare professionals. Learning to work effectively involves effective communication between the student nurse, the clinical instructor, and the preceptor. Effective communication gives room for presenting concerns and feedback, allowing the student to learn how to work effectively.
Acquire higher satisfaction
As nursing students take clinical nursing semesters, they grow their skills and confidence as they continue nursing school and practice. This confidence and set of skills help nursing students feel a higher sense of satisfaction with themselves. Higher satisfaction also helps maintain motivation to continue with the nursing school and achieve their goals throughout the semesters. Confidence, self-awareness, and personal satisfaction help the students’ progress from seeing themselves as students to recognizing their abilities as assured nurses. With time, they take on more tasks and experience other nursing jobs, and they learn more and grow in confidence.
Earn a consistent look at nursing
During clinical nursing placement, the student nurses get an all-round look at what nursing entails, especially clinical nursing. They can get different perspectives on how nursing works, the challenges they expect in the profession, and how to find effective solutions. Clinical placement in nursing also allows student nurses to familiarize themselves with the standardized practices they will be expected to meet. At the end of the clinical placement, the student nurses are expected to complete a competency checklist with their preceptors or clinical instructors, who ascertain that they have acquired the expected skills. The skills they earn help influence the perspective they have on nursing. They acquire problem-solving approaches to current nursing issues and foster their creativity. Their resourcefulness in nursing is fundamental to the success of their careers, and that is also a major aspect that nursing students learn during their clinical placement.
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