nursing education

The relationship between academic performance and clinical practice is a crucial area of focus in nursing education. Academic performance serves as a foundation for the theoretical knowledge required in clinical practice, while clinical experiences provide opportunities to apply this knowledge in real-world healthcare setting. However, bridging the gap between academic and clinical environments remains a significant challenge for nursing students globally. Several factors influence nursing students' academic performance, including stress, satisfaction with learning environments, and access to educational resources. This study assessed evaluated the influence of academic performance on clinical practice of nursing student in a tertiary institution in Benin City. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 253 nursing students from 300-500 level in the University of Benin, using structured questionnaires, and data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that 70.8% of respondents agreed that academic performance significantly impacted clinical practice outcomes. The factors influencing academic performance and clinical practice included access to learning resources (85.9%), faculty support (65.2%), peer collaboration (90.9%), and personal factors like time management and self-discipline (70.0%). Challenges faced by students included inadequate clinical supervision (58.2%), the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-life clinical scenarios (34.5%), and limited exposure to diverse clinical cases (39.2%). The study confirmed a positive relationship between academic performance and clinical competence. The hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between the level of impact of academic performance on clinical practice outcomes and the challenges faced by nursing students was not supported, hence indicating a significant relationship (p=0.03). Based on these findings, it is recommended that nursing institutions improve clinical supervision, provide more practical opportunities, and enhance resources to support students in applying theoretical knowledge efectively in clinical setting