Factors Affecting the Clinical Experience of Nursing Students in Turkey: A Systematic Review

Aim: To determine the factors affecting the clinical experience of nursing students in Turkey. Method: This study used the systematic review methodology. The study was carried out by searching Ulakbim Turkish Medical Database, Turkish Medline,EBSCO Host, and Pubmed, databases. The search was conducted between January and February 2020 using “klinik deneyim”, “klinik uygulama”, “klinik eğitim”, “Öğrenciler, hemşirelik” keywords in Turkish, “clinical experience”, “clinical practice”, “clinical education”, “Students, Nursing”, “Turkey” keywords in English. The review and reporting of the findings were carried out in line with the guidance of the PRISMA statement guidelines. Results: Twenty-one articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the review. As a result of the review, the factors affecting the clinical experiences of the students were discussed under four headings. These included individual factors associated with students; gender, grade level, professional perception, emotions, coping strategies, knowledge level, academic performance, and peer support; factors associated with the clinical instructor; attitudes of the instructor; factors associated with the planning of clinical education; the number of instructors, orientation, the match between education and practice, education method, management of the learning process, and factors associated with the clinical practice environment; physical environment, tasks assigned outside the area of responsibility, material and equipment support, other health team members, patients and relatives, and working system of the clinic. Conclusion: It can be recommended that factors that affect the clinical experiences of students should be addressed in all aspects and that strategies should be developed at the national level for approaches that support learning processes and positive experiences. When planning clinical education processes, conditions that may affect the experiences of students should be handled in all dimensions. Student-centered thinking will guide a comprehensive approach.