Satisfaction with clinical learning environment among nursing and midwifery students from university of Rwanda

Abstract

Background: The clinical learning environment is an essential part of the nursing education program. To be satisfied, nursing/midwifery students need quality clinical learning environment to exhibit good practice, demonstrate knowledge, skills and professional attitudes when interacting with clinical setting‟s staff, patients, supervisors with the support of the ward manager where clinical placement takes place. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the level of satisfaction with the clinical learning environment among nursing/midwifery students from the University of Rwanda. Approach and design: The study used a quantitative approach, descriptive cross sectional study design applied to 280 undergraduate nursing /midwifery students using the CLES+T tool to collect information with little modification based on agreement between the principal author and researcher. Findings: The findings indicated that in overall 162 (58 %) of the students were highly satisfied with clinical learning environment with 150 (54 %) highly satisfied with ward atmosphere, 162 (58 %) highly satisfied with the leadership of the word manager and 174 (62 %) highly satisfied with the supervisory relationship with significance association to class level (p- value 0.001) and the last clinical placement (p- value 0.000). Despite the level of satisfaction, findings showed a no negligible number of the participants in this research who were dissatisfied with clinical learning environment in its CLES+T dimension which mean that the system is still having a big room for improvement. v Conclusion: The main finding in this study indicated moderate nursing/midwifery students' satisfaction with CLE. However, some participants expressed dissatisfaction which showed that the CLE still have an area for improvement as shown by none negligible disagreement in the presented results. This improvement is needed to respond to quality education corresponding to the fourth sustainable development goal.