Clinical learning environment and supervision: testing a research instrument in an international comparative study

The aim of this study was to test a research instrument in a comparative analysis of the experiences of Finnish and English student nurses working in clinical settings. Changes in the organization of nurse education have resulted in a number of changes to the provision of nurse education in both countries, particularly in the areas of clinical teaching and the development of a more ‘academic’ role for nurse teachers. The data (n=558) were collected from four nursing colleges in Finland (n=416) and two universities in the UK (n=142). All respondents were undertaking clinical placements in a wide variety of clinical specialities. The research instrument used in this study was the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES) scale. It consists of background variables and 27 statements that evaluate the learning environment and the supervisory relationship. Data were statistically analyzed, with differences between the groups analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and cross-tabulated. The instrument (CLES) used in this study was able to indicate the differences between the groups. Finnish students evaluated their clinical placements and supervision more positively than students in the UK. There were no significant differences in how students worked with their mentors but the frequency of nurse teacher/student meetings was much higher within the Finnish sample. The difference is statistically highly significant.