Understanding the Influencing Factors and Experiences of Clinical Learning Environment in COVID-19

ABSTRACT

This study aims to understand the factors influencing clinical practices and experiences of nursing students in varied clinical learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods design where quantitatively, the subjects’ sense of powerlessness, self-efficacy, clinical practice satisfaction, and learning flow according to the clinical learning environment were evaluated, and qualitatively, in-depth interview and analysis of the reflections were conducted. Data analysis was performed by paired t-test and multivariate regression analysis using the SPSS 25.0 program, and qualitative thematic analysis was performed. As a result of the study, in online clinical education, it was found that the lower the sense of helplessness (p=.018) and the higher the clinical practice satisfaction (p=.004), the higher the learning commitment was, and the model composed of these variables explained 39.2% of the learning flow. In addition, the higher the satisfaction with clinical practice, the higher the learning immersion (p<.001), and the explanation power was 54.1%. As a result of qualitative thematic analysis, three central themes and six sub-themes were derived, and it was found that students experienced 'a fearful but useful experience, regret about the limited experience, and pride and high satisfaction in the nursing profession’. In the context of the spread of COVID-19, it is necessary to develop effective practical training methods to improve the quality of nursing education. © 2022, Success Culture Press. All rights reserved.