ATTITUDE OF STUDENT NURSES TOWARDS CLINICAL PRACTICE AT THE SCHOOL OF POST BASIC NURSING, UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL

TOPIC: ATTITUDE OF STUDENT NURSES TOWARDS CLINICAL PRACTICE AT THE SCHOOL OF POST BASIC NURSING, UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL
 
THIS TOPIC IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR:
1-Department of Nursing Science
2-Department of Public Health
3-Department of Health Education
This research material contains:
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-Questionnare

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to assess the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. The study was specifically carried out to assess the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice, evaluate the level of student nurses' participation in clinical practice, examine the influence of clinical learning experiences on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice, determine the influence of supervision and mentorship on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice, and assess the influence of the clinical learning environment on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The study population comprised 165 student nurses enrolled at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, while a total of 129 respondents were selected as the sample size using the Taro Yamane formula. Out of the 129 questionnaires distributed, 124 were returned and 119 were validated for analysis. The questionnaire was used for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, mean scores, standard deviations, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis with the aid of SPSS version 27. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that student nurses had a high positive attitude towards clinical practice with a grand mean of 4.20. The study also showed that student nurses demonstrated a very high level of participation in clinical practice with a grand mean of 4.23. The study concluded that student nurses generally possessed a positive attitude towards clinical practice and actively participated in clinical learning activities. The study therefore recommends that the management of the School of Post Basic Nursing and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital should strengthen clinical training programmes through regular orientation and practical workshops, clinical instructors should provide structured mentorship and timely feedback, hospital management should ensure adequate clinical learning resources and equipment, and nursing education policymakers should establish continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to improve the quality of clinical training.
Keywords: Student Nurses, Clinical Practice, Clinical Learning Experiences, Supervision and Mentorship, Clinical Learning Environment, Attitude.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is the foundation of human resource development and an important tool for improving professional skills, innovation and development of a nation. In different professions, education is not only intended to help acquire theoretical knowledge but also to develop the intellect, moral view, ability and skill and to foster lifelong learning. Within the healthcare sector, the importance of professional education is heightened given its direct impact on the quality, safety, and effectiveness of patient care. Marrriott et al. (2024) explained that healthcare education had become a competency-based approach that focused on both scientific knowledge and its application in the real world to equip healthcare workers for more complex clinical settings. Experiential learning is an indispensable tool in health professional education nowadays as it helps to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of the subject and improves the ability of the learners to synthesize theoretical concepts with practical ones as stated by Panda et al. (2021). Similarly, Andreassen et al. (2025) described the focus of professional education nowadays as being on the all-round development of a learner based on intentional academic and field-based learning experiences, which enabled them to think analytically, act professionally and be adaptive. In conclusion, healthcare education remains a holistic educational ecosystem that equips future healthcare professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt and excel in the changing landscape of the healthcare industry.
Nursing education is unique in the health care education field because it combines scientific education with extensive clinical experiences to prepare nursing practitioners who can provide safe, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. Clinical Practice is a critical aspect of nursing education which is an experiential learning process, where students learn and practice in real healthcare environments, supervised by a qualified nurse, and acquire theoretical knowledge, psychomotor abilities, improve their clinical skills, and internalize the values of the nursing profession. According to Hashish and Alnajjar (2024), clinical practice had been the centerpiece of nursing education as it enabled the implementation of classroom learning to competent nursing practice. Likewise, Jacob et al. (2023) found that ongoing clinical experience had improved students' clinical reasoning, communication skills, leadership and decision making skills, and strengthened their professional identity. Ahmed et al. (2025) also asserted that the structured clinical learning experiences had boosted learners' confidence and readiness for advanced nursing roles. Beyond this, Salifu et al. (2022) noted that well-organized clinical placements had fostered connections between theoretical learning with evidence-based nursing practices and interventions, leading to the production of competent nurses who are able to work effectively in multi-professional healthcare settings.
The quality of clinical education does not only depend on the quality of the learning opportunities, but also on the attitude with which learners experience these opportunities. Attitude, in general, is a fairly stable and enduring predisposition of beliefs, feelings, perceptions and behavioural tendencies toward an object, activity or situation. In the context of nursing education, the attitude of student nurses to clinical practice refers to their degree of enthusiasm, commitment, motivation, perception, willingness and emotional orientation to engage in practical learning experiences. Ogunmuyiwa et al. (2025) gave reasons that students' attitudes had significantly influenced the level of their participation in clinical learning activities and skill acquisition. Abah et al. (2024) noted that positive attitudes towards clinical practice had motivated active engagement and collaboration with health care workers and learning experiences in clinical settings. Moreover, Nweke et al. (2021) reported that positive attitudes were able to increase learners' understanding of the importance of clinical practice as a crucial pathway for building competence, confidence and career development. Marriott et al. (2024) further argued that attitude is an important psychological factor that influences the educational outcomes of learners as it affects their motivation, educational behavior during the learning process, and commitment to education. These views highlight the importance of attitude as an integral component in the maximisation of the learning potential of clinical practice in Nursing programmes.
In Nigeria, post-basic nursing education has now shifted its emphasis to more specialized clinical skills in recognition of the increasing complexity of healthcare delivery and the demand for more skilled nursing personnel. The School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), is one of the institutions dedicated to the preparation of registered nurses for advanced practice providing a harmonious combination of advanced theoretical teaching and structured clinical learning experiences. From this Ahmed et al. (2025) reported that the clinical education in post-basic nursing programmes had been emphasized on competency-based education to gain a specialized nursing expertise and professional excellence. Advanced nursing education, according to Hashish and Alnajjar (2024), had also heavily depended on continuous clinical exposure to reinforce the students' competence and skill in their field. Similarly, Jacob et al. (2023) stated that clinical learning environments continued to play a key role in post-basic nursing education as they enabled nurses to enhance their skills, socialise professionally and learn on the job. Taking this into perspective, it is apt to examine the attitude of the student nurses towards clinical practice in the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital to understand their disposition towards clinical learning in a specialised learning environment and to add to the pool of existing knowledge on nursing education in Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Clinical practice is an integral part in nursing education and is irreplaceable as it enables student nurses to combine theory with skills needed to practice the profession competently. Learners should acquire critical thinking skills, psychomotor skills, communication skills and confidence in the workplace through clinical exposure to enable them to provide safe and quality healthcare services. As noted by Hashish and Alnajjar (2024), clinical practice was a vital aspect in the process of achieving competence and identification as a nurse. Likewise, Jacob et al. (2023) found that structured clinical learning experiences had led to increased students' readiness for professional responsibilities and evidence-based nursing practice. Student Nurses should have positive attitudes and take advantage of learning opportunities while maximizing clinical experiences to promote their professional development. These positive attitudes are needed to realize the goals of post-basic nursing education and for high-quality nursing care.
Although clinical practice is acknowledged as being significant in nursing education, evidence from recent studies indicated that student nurses do not necessarily demonstrate the desired level of enthusiasm, commitment and engagement during clinical learning experiences. Ahmed et al., (2025) noticed that student attitudes towards clinical practice had an impact on student participation and learning outcomes. Similarly, Ogunmuyiwa et al. (2025) reported how the variations in learners' perceptions and dispositions of clinical practice had impacted the extent to which learners had utilized available learning opportunities in healthcare environments. All student nurses should have good attitudes which will ensure they are active, professional and can be continuously developed in terms of competence. But, the presence of different attitude suggests that, sometimes the desired education outcomes may not be achieved completely, which means there is a need to have an understanding on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice in specialized nursing institutions.
However, past studies had investigated attitudes of students towards clinical practice, but studies seem to have been lacking on empirical study of attitudes of student nurses in School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Marriott et al. (2024) continued to argue that students' attitudes were a key determinant of their engagement in education and competence in their profession. In the same vein, Nweke et al. (2021) gave reasons that clinical education and educational planning will be improved by understanding learners' attitudes. The lack of context-specific evidence provides a gap in knowledge about the student nurses' attitudes in this institution and data that can inform education decision making. The aim of this study therefore, is to examine the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice in School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital to provide empirical data that can be used in designing educational strategies, improving on their clinical learning experiences and improving the quality of post basic nursing education.
1.3 Objectives of the study
The main objective of this study is to assess attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the school of post basic nursing, university of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.  The specific objectives are to: 
1.Assess the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
2.Evaluate the level of student nurses' participation in clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
3.Examine the influence of clinical learning experiences on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
4.Determine the influence of supervision and mentorship on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
5.Assess the influence of the clinical learning environment on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Other parts of chapter one include:
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8  Operational Definition of Terms.

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (Preview)
This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of attitude, the concept of clinical practice, student nurses' attitudes towards clinical practice, factors influencing student nurses' attitudes towards clinical practice, challenges encountered by student nurses during clinical practice, and the importance of clinical practice  etc.The chapter is sub-grouped into the following major headings:
2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (Preview)
Presented below is a snapshot of key areas of the study methodology, the full and detail chapter three methodology is contained in the instant download document.

Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.
Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises  student nurses currently enrolled in the Accident and Emergency Nursing and Paediatric Nursing specialty programmes at the School of Post Basic Nursing Studies, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State, Nigeria, for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Sample Size Determination: The study adopted the Taro Yamane formula to determine a sample size of 129 participants, including a 10% attrition allowance.
Sampling Technique: The study employed a multistage sampling technique involving purposive, stratified, and proportionate simple random sampling to select the individual respondents.
Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire titled "Attitude of Student Nurses Towards Clinical Practice" as the instrument for data collection.
Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as Pearson Correlation Analysis, were used to test the formulated hypotheses.
Full outline for chapter three;
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Area of the Study
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Sample Size
3.5 Sampling Technique
3.6 Instrument for Data Collection
3.7 Validity of Instrument
3.8 Reliability of Instrument
3.9 Method of Data Collection
3.10 Method of Data Analysis
3.11 Ethical Consideration

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)
The analysis results were presented in tables and charts. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the following major findings were made:

i. The study found that student nurses exhibited a high positive attitude towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.20, which indicates a high level of agreement among the respondents.

ii. The study found that student nurses demonstrated a very high level of participation in clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.23.

iii. The study found that clinical learning experiences have a very high influence on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.32. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.112, t-value of 1.22, and p-value of 0.025 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

iv. The study found that supervision and mentorship have a very high influence on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.29. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.094, t-value of 1.02, and p-value of 0.011 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

v. The study found that the clinical learning environment has a very high influence on the attitude of student nurses towards clinical practice at the School of Post Basic Nursing, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.29. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.087, t-value of 0.94, and p-value of 0.046 (p < 0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter covers the following outline:
5.1 Key Findings
5.2 Implications of the Findings to Nursing Practice
5.3 Summary of the Study
5.4 Conclusion
5.5 Limitations of the Study
5.6 Recommendations
5.7 Suggestions for Further Studies
Reference
Appendix

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