Speakers - WNSC 2023

Abstract

Background: The study explored the perception of nursing students and nurse educators on the constraints to practical clinical assessment of nursing students’ competencies and probed possible solutions to the identified constraints in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 175 nursing students and 49 Nurse Educators from five randomly selected nursing schools participated. The study adopted a triangulation approach of quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect quantitative data from the nursing students and nurse educators, and a response return rate of 163 (93%) and 46(94%) were recorded, respectively, from both groups. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was employed for qualitative data among 12 nursing students and 11 nurse educators in two nursing schools. Data were analyzed, and the relative importance index (RII) and its ranking (R) were utilized to establish the relative importance of the various constraints identified as responsible for effective clinical assessment of competencies.

Result: The result revealed, as rated by the nursing students, the two most profound constraints to effective clinical assessment of nursing student’s competencies as; a lack of confidence of the students in carrying out procedures in a clinical setting and a lack of materials and instruments for clinical practice with equal ranking (RII=0.78; R=1.5), while the educators rated; Lack of confidence by the students in carrying out procedures in a clinical setting (RII=0.74; R=1.0) as a key constraint. The Mann-Whitney U test showed no statistically significant differences in the perception of the two groups both on the constraints and probable solutions to the identified constraints (p>.05) respectively. FGD revealed; a lack of clear objectives for each clinical posting as a major constraint, as both students and clinical assessors do not have a clear idea of what competence they are to acquire and assess.

Conclusion: The researchers recommend that clinical placement objectives should be set and communicated to the students, educators and assessors to direct nursing students’ clinical practice, and evaluation and assessment format should be develop by the school administrators in line with specific skills to be evaluated.