Practical nursing students' learning and assessment during work-based placement: A qualitative study

Aim: To describe practical nursing students', mentors' and educators' perceptions of student learning and assessment of learning progress during work-based learning.

Design: A qualitative descriptive study.

Methods: The research data were collected by interviewing eight practical nursing students, 12 mentors and eight educators (total n = 28) from three vocational institutions and four social- and health care organizations in Finland during November 2019-September 2020. The interviews were conducted as focus group interviews, after which the collected material was subjected to content analysis. The researchers had received appropriate research permits from the target organizations.

Results: Work-based learning depends on the student, who must be goal-oriented and responsible for their own learning. The mentor also plays a key role in the learning process as the supporter and enabler of a student's goal-oriented learning process. The educator is responsible for instructing both students and mentors, and supporting a student's goal-oriented learning process. The vocational institution also has a role in successful learning among practical nursing students as an enabler of students' individual learning process. The participants shared that the workplace is responsible for ensuring a secure learning environment.