Because nursing is a technical profession that involves looking after people’s welfare, it’s essential to get some hands-on experience by working in clinical environments. This gives nurses an understanding of how their training and theoretical knowledge apply in real-world situations, which can help them feel more confident about their future nursing careers. Learning more about clinical placements and why they’re an important part of your training can help you better understand what to expect from your education program. In this guide, we explore what clinical placements are, why they’re important and how they fit into your nursing training.
What is clinical placement?
Clinical placement is akin to an internship for nurses. It offers students the chance to experience real-world settings and situations related to nursing, which prepares them effectively for their future careers. Nurses may be placed in outpatient settings, hospitals, community health centers or mental health clinics. Clinical placements give you a chance to see how nurses interact with patients and how they administer care. The purpose of placements is to give you an opportunity to put your training into practice under supervision, and it forms a crucial part of your education.
The setting you’re placed in has a major impact on what your tasks will be, but here are some typical duties:
- Attending multidisciplinary team meetings comprising professionals like physiotherapists, doctors, nurses and social workers
- Working with doctors and doing home visits to observe primary care techniques, how diagnoses are done and when to refer people to specialists
- Working in outpatient clinics with junior doctors and consultants
- Observing surgical and anesthetic procedures in operating theaters
- Attending wards to learn about the daily activities involved with working in a hospital
Importance of clinical placements
Clinical placements are a necessary part of your nursing education for many reasons, which is why they’re a standard component of all nursing programs, including online programs like the UIndy online accelerated BSN program, in almost every country in the world. The University of Indianapolis has a department for placements specifically to help students supplement their extensive knowledge with hands-on experience. Here are just a few of the reasons why placements are so important:
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Helps you make career decisions
Getting some hands-on experience working in various clinical environments can help you decide what you want to do in your nursing career and which area you want to specialize in. For example, you might decide you want to specialize in primary care instead of acute care once you experience the work hands-on. You may also realize you prefer working in a particular setting or with a particular population, as the reality of the work may be different in real life compared to how you imagined it.
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Bolster your skills
One of the main purposes of clinical placements is to give you a chance to practice your nursing skills, which can help you identify areas in which your skills are lacking and give you a chance to improve them before your career begins. You’ll learn things like the importance of health and safety, how to take vital readings, how to provide care for patients in their homes, how to feed patients and how to administer medication properly. The only way to experience the realities of nursing is to work in a healthcare environment and witness it firsthand, as some things can only be learned in a practical setting, such as how to interact with patients.
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Form relationships
One important and often overlooked aspect of clinical placements is that they give you an opportunity to expand your professional network and form relationships with other healthcare professionals. You’ll get the opportunity to work with highly trained professionals, like physicians and registered nurses, and you’ll be able to ask them questions relating to your future career. You can also form valuable relationships with senior members of healthcare facilities, which can help your chances of securing jobs and promotions down the line.
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Experience different clinical settings
Gaining exposure to a range of clinical settings can help you develop a wide range of skills that will be helpful to your future nursing career, in addition to giving you a chance to work with different kinds of patients. Placements typically involve rotations between different care scenarios and specializations, which can help you learn about various areas of nursing.
