Healthcare students' evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision – a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The purpose of clinical placements and supervision is to promote the development of healthcare students´ professional skills. High-quality clinical learning environments and supervision were shown to have significant influence on healthcare students´ professional development. Objectives This study aimed to describe healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision, and to identify the factors that affect these. Design The study was performed as a cross-sectional study. Methods The data ( n  = 1973) were gathered through an online survey using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale during the academic year 2015–2016 from all healthcare students ( N  = 2500) who completed their clinical placement at a certain university hospital in Finland. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. Results More than half of the healthcare students had a named supervisor and supervision was completed as planned. The students evaluated the clinical learning environment and supervision as ‘good’. The students´ readiness to recommend the unit to other students and the frequency of separate private unscheduled sessions with the supervisor were the main factors that affect healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision. Individualized and goal-oriented supervision in which the student had a named supervisor and where supervision was completed as planned in a positive environment that supported learning had a significant impact on student's learning. Conclusions The clinical learning environment and supervision support the development of future healthcare professionals' clinical competence. The supervisory relationship was shown to have a significant effect on the outcomes of students' experiences. We recommend the planning of educational programmes for supervisors of healthcare students for the enhancement of supervisors' pedagogical competencies in supervising students in the clinical practice.