Nurs Open. 2026 Jul;13(7):e70667. doi: 10.1002/nop2.70667.
ABSTRACT
AIM: Exploration of factors associated with clinical placements in nursing homes for first-year nursing students which may impact their career choices.
DESIGN: This paper reports on Stage I of a larger study which comprised a 2-stage sequential mixed-methods design.
METHODS: Stage I was a national survey conducted as a telephone interview with nurse academics involved in arranging clinical placements for first-year student nurses; and Stage II which included: interviews with student nurses before and after their first clinical placement in a nursing home, and interviews with clinical supervisors. The Stage I national survey was conducted as a telephone interview and was audio recorded. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and reflexive thematic analysis.
RESULTS: All Australian nursing schools that offered a Bachelor of Nursing in 2023 were invited to participate. Twenty-nine (81%) participated. The first clinical placement for most (79%) Australian student nurses is in a nursing home. Four themes were identified from the data analysis: (1) clinical placements are increasingly organised by centralised teams (48%); (2) the supervision model and the clinical supervisor are determined by placement agreements where students can be supervised by someone ill equipped for the role; (3) the purpose of this first-year clinical placement is difficult to articulate, other than to practise fundamental skills; and (4) nursing homes can provide positive learning experiences for student nurses, if they are prepared for the setting and supervised appropriately.
CONCLUSION: While many of these findings have been documented for decades, clinical placements in nursing homes may provide student nurses with valuable experiences. Schools of nursing need to better prepare students for clinical placements in nursing homes (especially if it is their first clinical placement) and ensure they are appropriately supervised. If not, graduate nurses will not consider aged care nursing as a career option.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These findings should encourage nursing schools to reconsider their curriculum design, especially the timing of clinical placements in nursing homes, and their employment of clinical supervisors. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) should mandate a care of older persons subject in all undergraduate nursing curricula to be undertaken before students undertake a clinical placement in a nursing home.
PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: There was no public contribution to this research. All participants were nurse academics from participating Australian schools of nursing.
PMID:42400213 | DOI:10.1002/nop2.70667
