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Abstract |
The author notes that learning nurses require real clinical experiences in order to apply learnt theory to actual practice. Clinical learning environments have consistently been found to function variably and sub-optimally for both learners and teachers. In order to improve the quality of the clinical learning environment it is necessary to first evaluate how effectively a clinical learning environment is functioning. A number of different methodologies have been used to evaluate clinical learning environments, a recent and successful method being the use of questionnaires or clinical learning environment evaluation tools. The objective of the present study was to develop clinical learning environment evaluation tools for use in a New Zealand hospital health service. Four tools appropriate to evaluate the clinical learning environment from the different perspectives of any type of clinical learner, clinical teacher, clinical manager and programme co-ordinator or nurse lecturer were developed. Six newly graduated nurses, three senior nurses, and the researcher were involved in the development of the evaluation tools over a five month period. A participatory action research methodology was employed. The resultant tools had a unique local focus and were suitably similar to other internationally developed tools. After testing the clinical learning environment evaluation tools, it is hoped that the implementation of the tools will support all stakeholders to understand and consequently optimise the functionality of their clinical learning environment. |
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