Use of Innovative Clinical Placements
in Undergraduate Nursing Education:
A National Survey

Health professional education programs are responding to the community and population-based foci of healthcare by seeking to integrate strong community components in their curricula. At the same time, recent healthcare restructuring and cuts to community health programs, along with increased enrolments, have made the allocation of clinical placements for health professions students extremely challenging. Yet, clinical learning experiences continue as the backbone of health professional education where students bring theory and practice together (i.e., praxis) in a transition to professional practice. In the search for suitable clinical placements needed to fulfill mandated number of clinical hours, educators are turning to various non-traditional settings in a shift that is both philosophically and practically motivated.

Project Reports

photo: research placementsExecutive Summary

The Use of Innovative Clinical Placements in Nursing Education: A National Survey
(November, 2007)

Funded by Western Regions Canadian Association Schools of Nursing Research Award.

This recently completed study examined the utilization of innovative clinical placements in undergraduate nursing programs from the perspectives of clinical placement coordinators and nurse educators. A national survey was used to collect data from 74 Canadian nursing programs in the Winter of 2005/2006. The data from the survey were validated and expanded upon during a focus group with nurse educators and administrators in November 2006. A detailed discussion of the background, methods, and results of the study is provided in the report.

Full Report Available upon request to:  Sheryl.Kirkham@twu.ca

 Download 2007 ICP Executive Summary (PDF)

ppicon  Download presentation slides: The 4th Annual Education Conference (Calgary; August, 2008) (PPT) 

2005 Report

Innovative Clinical Placements: A Descriptive Study
(October, 2005).

Funded by Western Regions Canadian Association Schools of Nursing Research Award.

This study examined student learning opportunities for population-focused nursing care in several innovative clinical sites used by one university nursing program: parish, rural, corrections, Aboriginal, and international health settings. Findings from this study demonstrate that although these placements may require more administrative time, rich student learning occurs. Students in these placements report a heightened awareness of patients' lived reality of health and illness and the social contexts that shaped these patient experiences. Findings also highlight catalysts and challenges of using innovative clinical settings and perspectives on how to maximize learning in these settings.

Download 2005 ICP Report (PDF)

Publications Related to the Project

Reimer Kirkham, S., Van Hofwegen, L., & Hoe Harwood, C. (2005). Narratives of Social Justice: Student Learning in Innovative Clinical Placements. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship. 2(1), article 28. Available: http://www.bepress.com/ijnes/vol2/iss1/art28

Van Hofwegen, L., Reimer Kirkham, S., & Hoe Harwood, C. (2005). Accessing the strength of rural health settings: Implications for undergraduate nursing education. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship. 2(1), article 27. Available: http://www.bepress.com/ijnes/vol2/iss1/art27

Reimer Kirkham, S., Hoe Harwood, C., & Van Hofwegen, L. (2005). Capturing the vision: Undergraduate nursing students in innovative clinical settings. Nurse Educator, 30(6):263-270.

Funding Sources

  1. Keeping the Vision: Sustaining Social Consciousness with Nursing Students following International Learning Experiences (Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Aid to Small Universities, $3000). Co Principal Investigators: S. Reimer Kirkham; L. Van Hofwegen; Co-Investigator: D. Pankratz.
  2. Use of Innovative Clinical Placements in Undergraduate Nursing Education: A National Survey (WRCASN Nursing Education Research Award, 2005 - 2007). Principal Investigator: S. Reimer Kirkham; Co Principal Investigator: C. Hoe Harwood; Investigators: L. Terblanche, L. Van Hofwegen; Collaborator: R. Sawatzky.