Clinical area is vital in the overall development and learning of a nursing student. Most of the related learning experience (RLE) and intensive nursing practicum are done here. Real-life scenarios and hands-on experience of nursing skills are being honed in this area. The clinical field/area is where the place nursing students apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies they have learned inside the classroom. Moreover, the clinical area allows nursing students to work with doctors, midwives, and other healthcare workers. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential in attaining the highest possible quality health care a patient/client can have.
Despite the advantages of the clinical area in nursing education, there are also disadvantages that can be encountered, such as the high risk for safety and security of both the patient/client and the students. It is imperative for both the hospital and the school that the priority is always the safety and security of both parties - specifically in terms of acquiring hospital-borne diseases, infections, accidents, etc.
Also, a mismatch of the curriculum and the clinical area where they will be placed is one major concern of nursing educators. That is why it is very important, as specified in CMO 15, s. 2017, that the faculty handling the lecture should be the ones following up with the students in the clinical area - to ensure that the theoretical aspect will be applied in the RLE.
Lastly, overcrowding of students in a given clinical area. There is an appropriate student-to-patient ratio and faculty-to-student ratio during RLE. But it is not being followed religiously, leading to overcrowding of students, which will disrupt the learning and will complicate things in the clinical area - it will also put patients at risk and make them irritable.
