PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENT NURSES IN SANCTA MARIA COLLEGE OF NURSING SCIENCES, UZAIRUE

TOPIC: PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENT NURSES IN SANCTA MARIA COLLEGE OF NURSING SCIENCES, UZAIRUE

THIS TOPIC IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR: 
1. Nursing Science Department

2. Midwifery Department

3. Health Education Department

4. Educational Psychology Department

This research material would contain:

1-Chapter One to Five

2-Recent References/citations

3-Tables/Charts/Graphs in Chapter Four

4-Accurate Data Analysis

5-Table of Contents

6-Questionnaire

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background to the Study
In health education, and especially in nursing education programs around the world, clinical training has long been regarded as a cornerstone in developing healthcare practitioners who are able. Clinical training in the field of health education has long been considered a cornerstone in the preparation of able health care practitioners. In the medical sciences, the emphasis on educational frameworks has been increasingly shifting towards incorporating theoretical knowledge with practice-based learning to better prepare and build competency among students. Clinically oriented training was perceived as necessary in addressing the gap between what was learned in the classroom and how healthcare is delivered in practice (Ugwu et al., 2023). Likewise, Zhang et al. (2022) noted that experiential learning was widely used in training institutions in the health sector to enhance decision-making skills and patient care skills. Abubakar et al. (2021) also reported that structured learning settings consisting of observation, participation, and reflection were important for professional healthcare preparation. In the same vein, Ojo et al. (2024) highlighted the increasingly dynamic evolution of healthcare education systems, which had increasingly adopted practical exposure as an important component of training systems to ensure that learners acquire adaptive skills needed to thrive in the changing healthcare landscape.

Clinical experience is a systematic exposure of student nurses to authentic health care settings in which they interact with, and apply, theory under supervision. It involves direct contact with patients, involvement in procedures, and watching the healthcare delivery processes. Clinical experience, as highlighted by Joseph and Fransina (2023), was an essential part of nursing education that allowed students to apply their knowledge and understanding of nursing concepts to practical skills. Faruk and Auwalu (2022) stated that it is systematic exposure towards the development of psychomotor, cognitive, and affective skills that are necessary in professional nursing practice. Ozsaker et al. (2025) also pointed out that clinical placements offered chances to acquire clinical judgment skills by being guided to practice in healthcare environments. According to Jacob et al. (2023), nursing education frameworks had always included clinical postings as a mandatory requirement for nurses to develop competencies and get socialized into healthcare settings.

Academic performance in nursing education is the measurable result of the students' learning outcomes in theoretical and practical assessments. It is usually evaluated by examinations, continuous assessments, and clinical evaluations, which demonstrate the students' learning of nursing concepts and skills. According to Mohamed et al. (2024), academic performance had been adopted as one of the most important tools to assess educational effectiveness in health training institutions. Lawani et al. (2024) also elaborated that the students' learning achievements in nursing education were determined by their cognitive knowledge and skills in applying the knowledge. Ojo et al. (2024) found that learning outcomes of students were occasionally influenced by the combination of instructional approach and hands-on experience. Ugwu et al. (2023) also found that the level of student engagement in practical learning environments had always been closely linked to the level of performance in nursing education and enhanced the comprehension of the student and skill acquisition.

In the education of nursing in Nigeria, clinical experience is a vital component of the training program, especially in the colleges of nursing sciences, where the student is expected to be a blend of theory and practice in the hospital setting. Within this education system, Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences, Uzairue, has a structured education system with student nurses undergoing clinical postings as part of their education. Joseph and Fransina (2023) stated that in the higher education domain, institutions in similar settings had been increasingly highlighting models of integrated learning in order to promote competences and academic results. According to Abubakar et al. (2021), these institutions were created to help harmonize the educational goals to the demands of healthcare services using clinical exposure. Similarly, Faruk and Auwalu (2022) noted that in training institutions such as Sancta Maria College, the nursing students were often taken to the hospital to complement their classroom teachings. Similarly, Mohamed et al. (2024) suggested that the success of nursing education could be seen in students' perception and participation in clinical experiences, which in turn would influence their learning outcomes.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Globally, the education of nurses has continued to develop, placing greater importance on the combination of theoretical education and clinical experiences as essential elements of professional training. Student nurses have been placed in a clinical experience phase, where clinical experience is structured as a learning process to develop practical skills for safe and effective healthcare delivery. As observed by Ugwu et al. (2023), clinical exposure was an integral component of nursing training frameworks, providing a way to enhance competency development, and Joseph and Fransina (2023) confirmed that clinical experiences were crucial in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills in healthcare. It is hoped that in the perfect nursing education system, academic learning and clinical practice work together to strengthen students' learning and readiness to practice in the field. This integration was regarded as a normal feature in all nursing institutions, and students were increasingly led through the theoretical and practical phases of learning in order to arrive at a balanced educational result.

Although clinical experiences are planned and integrated into the curriculum of nursing, some differences are detected in the ability of student nurses to turn the clinical experiences into academic achievements. There are a number of cases where there is a mismatch between the learning outcomes expected and the academic performance achieved, indicating possible problems in the effectiveness of the clinical placements. It was seen that the level of students' active involvement in clinical learning environments had an impact on their academic performance in nursing education. Mohamed et al. (2024) and Lawani et al. (2024) mentioned that the lack of the relationship between clinical practice and theoretical education had affected the academic performance of students. Ojo et al. (2024) also reported that clinical training was intended to improve learning, but it was not always consistent in terms of its impact on academic performance in institutions. Ideally clinical exposure should have a direct link with understanding and examination performance, but where there are gaps in the relationship between the two, it means that the desired educational outcomes aren't being met in all contexts.

In the Santa Maria College of Nursing Sciences, Uzairue, student nurses are being sent for clinical postings regularly in line with the academic requirements, but there are still concerns about the effect of clinical postings on students' academic performance. While the ultimate hope is that clinical learning experiences will in turn lead to better understanding of nursing concepts and better outcomes on the exam, the performance of students in the experiences suggests that there may be some disconnects. It is noted that nursing institutions were created to balance the learning experiences in the classroom and the clinical environment, as highlighted by Abubakar et al. (2021); while Faruk and Auwalu (2022) noted that the good clinical exposure was expected to boost students' professional and academic competencies. Jacob et al. (2023), however, noted that there might be a risk of inconsistencies in clinical supervision and learning engagement impacting educational outcomes. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the perceived influence of clinical experience on student nurses' academic performance in Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences, Uzairue with a view of filling the gaps in the understanding of how this relationship exists.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The study's main goal is to assess the perceived influence of clinical experience on the academic performance of student nurses in Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences, Uzairue. The study specifically attempted to:

1. To examine the extent to which clinical experience improves students’ practical skill acquisition in nursing education.

2. To assess the perceived influence of clinical experience on the nursing competence of nursing students.

3. Examine the perceived influence of clinical experience on the critical thinking and clinical decision-making ability of student nurses.

4. Identify the challenges associated with clinical experience that affect the academic performance of student nurses in Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions guided this study:

i. What is the extent to which clinical experience improves students’ practical skill acquisition in nursing education?

ii.What is the perceived influence of clinical experience on the nursing competence of nursing students?

iii.What is the perceived influence of clinical experience on the critical thinking and clinical decision-making ability of student nurses ?

iv.What are the challenges associated with clinical experience that affect the academic performance of student nurses in Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences?

1.5 Hypotheses

H₀1: Clinical experience has no significant influence on the nursing competence of nursing students.

H₀2: Clinical experience has no significant influence on the critical thinking and clinical decision making ability of student nurses.

Other parts of chapter one include:

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms