Impact of Pre-Registration Workplace Experience Education on Nursing Practice

This essay critically discusses the impact of pre-registration workplace experience education (clinical placement) on nursing practice. It highlights the importance and effect of the workplace experience and education which nursing students take through clinical placement. The essay also discusses studies of various authors who have concentrated their work on clinical placement before registration.

Running head: WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE AND CLINICAL PLACEMENT
WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE AND CLINICAL PLACEMENT PRE-REGISTRATION
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
Professional experience in the health and clinical setting is of prime importance for the
students of nursing. Practitioners from the various health care professions should be able to
integrate themselves and apply their comprehensive knowledge, aptitude and skill from the
period of time when they have completed their undergraduate level course and pre-registration
training. The working experience is given to the nursing students by the mean of clinical
placement with the objective to make them acquainted with the real clinical environment (Trollor
et al., 2018). It is the often given before registration of the nursing students, which is known as
pre-registration clinical placement. When the nursing students excel in the program, they can get
become a registered nurse (Levett-Jones, Pitt, Courtney-Pratt, Harbrow & Rossiter, 2015).
Therefore, the main aim of the essay is to critically discuss the impact of the pre-registration
workplace experience education (clinical placement) on nursing practice. The major focus of the
analysis to develop a clear insight about the importance and effect of the workplace experience
and education which nursing students takes through clinical placement. It generally occurs pre-
registration of the course and its impact has been studied in the following essay. The essay has
discussed studies of the various author who have concentrated their work on clinical placement
before registration. The essay also highlights the importance of workplace experience in nursing
practice in order to conclude its impact and effect in the current health care sector.
Discussion
Preregistration educations and experience helps the nursing students to be adequately
trained with the obligatory skills and learning. It makes them competent enough to work with the
people who are suffering from different illness and disease. According to the study of Shivers,

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Hasson and Slater (2017), it was observed that nursing students develop seven different types of
professional knowledge, which is attributed by their pre-registration workplace experience and
education. The author has done cross-case analysis to demonstrate the current issue linked with
pre-registration education. It has a positive impact on the nursing practice. The study of Byfield,
East and Conway (2018) which focus on the pre-registration workplace argued that the main aim
of the pre-registration nursing programme is to encourage clinical confidence among the nurses
to work in the various health environment. The study has done a case review where the author
ensured that pre-registration workplace experience improves the clinical skill of the
undergraduate nurses. It helps to construct positive insight into the nurse in the domain of
communication and giving client effective education and care.
Law and Chan (2016) found that the nursing student of final years tends to feel mild to
moderate level of the phoney phenomenon in addition with feeling that they are not adequately
prepared for the practice. Self-doubt and lack of confidence are generally seen in nursing
students. Lewinson, McSherry and Kevern (2015) argued that in order to promote and explore
resilience and lowering the risk of failure, clinical placement and workplace experience is needed
to address the clinical issue of the undergraduate nursing students.
Nurse regulatory authorities, health care provider and educational institution are
responsible for the society and community where they ensure the safety and excellence of the
clinical placement and pre-registration programme in clinical development of nursing practice.
Bogossian et al. (2018) in their study author has demonstrated that for a nurse to move in their
journey from primary, secondary to the tertiary sector, it is important to enabling nursing
students to have an advantageous clinical placement experience. The most integral point of
research is the discipline of the nursing field. The author has said that nursing practice is such a

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field where a substantial level of training is required to them before registration as the author has
stated that it is the most vital part for the construction of professional competencies. The study is
also supported the Upton, Scurlock, Evans, liamson, Rouse and Upton (2015) where the author
has also explained that workplace experience and education is significant for the promoting
cultural adaptation to the certainties of nursing experience and work. Pre-registration clinical
placement allows the nursing students to work under the guidance of the health care
professionals. They help to build a secure connection between the theoretical learning of the
students and its practical applications in the health care environment. The study of McCutcheon,
O’Halloran and Lohan (2018) is in favour of many of the author where he has stated that clinical
placement is significant for constructing the effective nursing practice. The learning in the
clinical atmosphere assists the nurses to come across the real-world scenario to grow their skills,
attitude, knowledge and values. The author also added that workplace experience is something
that cannot be provided or gained through classroom or laboratory learning and pose a positive
impact on the nursing practice.
The study of Powell, Cooke and Brakke (2019) has demonstrated the various
shortcoming of the nursing practice, which lacks in workplace experience and education. The
author has stated that nurses fail to acquire knowledge that is needed in a clinical setting even
though they have graduated. The most important reason for this is the failure to engage in
workplace experience. It is often noticed that there is a lack of readiness in the nurses due to
which it suffers from the real shock, and it is difficult for them to search their proper place as a
registered nurse. Such deficient noticed among the nurse leads to a negative impact on the safety
of the patient. This is such a crucial area for the nursing practice, which does not leave any space
for the error. The study of Patterson et al. (2016) has also suggested that nurse giving their

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quality time in working placement and experience have a positive impact on their nursing
practice. It encourages students to continue with their studies, build confidence in their newly
developed nursing skills and they come to know about the unfamiliar scenario of the health care
sector (McCutcheon, O’Halloran & Lohan, 2018)
Chigavazira, Fernandez, Mackay and Lapkin (2018) has studied on the health scenario of
the world population and stated because of untrained, unmotivated health care workers has led to
the depreciation of the health and increase in health burden of the population. He has also done a
critical research to find the reason for such deterioration. He found that people cannot get
equitable access to the present services related to health that too of good quality without the help
of the adequate number of the prepared nurse by giving their significant contribution and
quantity within the medical workforce. Hence, he concludes by saying that clinical experience
and education is essential by clinical placement.
It is seen that newly registered nurse are deficient in confidence in their nursing practice.
The health care institution and academic institution work in association with each other with
significant objective to analyse its impact ion nursing practice among unregistered nurse
(Anderson, Moxham & Broadbent, 2018). Its primary goal is to develop awareness, knowledge
and skill in interprofessional partnership for the new graduate’s nurses and a student pursuing
their nursing. The author has also found that ways to acquire such objective (Anderson, Moxham
& Broadbent, 2018). He suggested that with the implementation of clinical placement and
workplace experience, is the only way to conquer effective clinical practice among the nursing
students. It facilitates the nursing student to connect their theory and practice for caring of the
patients as their primary responsibility is to provide effective concern and care to the peoples.

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Pullon et al. (2016) noted the value of the clinical setting in their research. He has stated
that clinical setting is the central point for the nursing students and their learning. The major
reason for such is that the workplace offers the first chance for the nurse to get accustomed to the
real patients with their actual health issues. It is through the experience and education in the
clinical setting by which they can make use of their knowledge in the nursing practice, can
develop their capability in psycho-motor skills and help to become socialize with their future
nursing practice. From the critical review, it can be said that clinical placement helps the nursing
student with the opportunity to get a hand-on experience and practice with acquired knowledge
of nursing.
The primary function of education of nurse is to graduate the nurse as a registered nurse
to those who have the competency to provide adequate care to the patient. The research of
Phillips, Kenny and Esterman (2016) has highlighted the role of a nurse in a clinical setting.
They have to be knowledgeable enough to understand the health condition of the patient by
taking their vital sign or by communicating with them. They must be capable of understanding
the non-verbal signs of the patients to get familiar with their distressing situation. The study of
Liljedahl, Boman, Fält and Laksov (2015) has also reflected on the same area and added that
such skills could not be developed by just attending the theory class. The action of caring of the
patients cannot be demonstrated in the laboratory setting and nor can the mean of communication
with the patient who is sick, anxious and in pain. The author has given a suggestion to these
delimiting factors by stating that the attending clinical training can achieve it. By this nurse gain
workplace experience and it is of paramount for nursing practice.
Au et al. (2016) have suggested that clinical education is essential for the association of
students learning, however, it is the economic constraint and its rationalisations that have made

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clinical placement as expensive for the nursing students. It has led some of the nursing to abstain
from the clinical placement and get workplace experience. From his study, it is noted that though
the clinical placement is necessary before registration, many of the students are not able to get
into it. Despite the unsubstantiated constraints, the author has clearly mentioned that clinical
practice is vital for positive impact in nursing practice, and it is the principal module of pre-
registration nursing students learning.
Another study by Cooper, Courtney-Pratt and Fitzgerald (2015) has also positively
argued about the impact of workplace experience and education. The author that stated that in
order to become evidence-based practitioners, the most important factor of pre-registration
nursing programs for the development of well-acquired and the reflective nurse is clinical
experience as they are dedicated towards the quality outcome in the atmosphere of the practice.
Conclusion
Lastly, from the above critical analysis of the impact of pre-registration workplace
experience education (clinical placement) on nursing practice, it can be said that clinical
experience is the most important factor for the nurse to become competent in giving effective
care to the patients. The workplace experience has a positive and healthy impact on nursing
practice. It helps the nurse to develop essential nursing skills. It also assists the nurse in links
their theoretical knowledge with the evidence-based practice. The workplace experience makes
nursing practice easy and informative. The nurse, through the clinical placement can get the real
exposure of the health scenario and health care sector. It allows the nurse to work with the
experienced health care professional who will make their nursing practice a success. Thus, it can
be confidently said that as an effect of workplace experience and education, it makes the nurse
skilled and prepared to get into the real health care sector. It is the responsibility of the colleges

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and clinical placement providers to obligate itself to provide a high level of workplace practice
for students of nursing. It is also recommended to reduce the cost of clinical placement so that
the majority of the nursing students can acquire it with ease. Though there are some
shortcomings that do not allow nursing students to get into work experience and clinical
placement which are related with lack of confidence and assertiveness, they must be encouraged
by the professionals to engage themselves in the setting to become competent.

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