FACTORS INFLUENCING UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF THEIR CLINICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN TEACHING HOSPITAL, EDO STATE.

This study investigated factors influencing undergraduate nursing students perception of their clinical learning environment (CLE). The study assessed the knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards CLE and factors influencing students’ attitude of CLE. The population of the study comprised of three hundred and sixteen (316) students in the department of Nursing Science. The sample size was determined using the Taro Yamane formula. A representative sample of 195 respondents were selected through simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was established to be 0.79. Analysis of data was carried out using frequency count, simple percentage, mean and standard deviation. Results showed that students had positive attitude (mean score of 3.20) and high knowledge (67.2%) of their CLE. Effective supervision and assessment, active participation during ward rounds, integration of theory into practice, lack of self-confidence, communication between nursing staff and students and intellectual abilities of students were identified as factors that influence students’ utilization of CLE. However, receptiveness of nursing staffs in the ward and difficulties in orientation for clinical teaching were observed not to significantly influence students’ attitude of CLE. Furthermore, it was indicated that there exists a significant relationship between attitude of nursing students towards their CLE and students’ level of study at 0.05 level of significance. The study therefore concluded that the CLE is an important avenue for students to develop their professional skills and at such must show commitment. It was recommended that clinical instructors must sustain effective supervision and assessment of nursing students on clinical placement, nursing students should ensure they develop a strong commitment towards learning in the clinical environment by asking questions about procedures not clearly understood and curriculum planners in nursing science should ensure that instructions in clinical learning are constantly improved upon