Paramedic nursing students' experiences of clinical placement in an ambulance where the teacher is another clinical supervisor - A qualitative study.

Abstract

Background: Clinical placements are crucial for paramedic nursing students' and other healthcare students' learning. However, students' experiences of guidance in placements vary. Our aim was to describe paramedic nursing students' experiences of clinical placement in an ambulance where the teacher was another supervisor.

Methods: This descriptive qualitative study used purposeful sampling to interview 22 paramedic nursing students who completed their ambulance clinical placement with teacher supervision between April and December 2023. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Findings: One main category "Paramedic nursing students' professional growth", and two generic categories "Teachers' supervising competence" and "Student-centered view" were generated. Students highlighted low threshold to ask questions, different perspective on supervising, and experiences of being safe, as well as time spent on ambulance tasks, learning discussions, learning experiences, and a targeted weekly schedule in a clinical placement where the teacher was their supervisor.

Conclusion: Embedding pedagogically trained teachers as clinical supervisors in ambulance placements enhances paramedic students' professional growth by fostering a safe, structured, and student-centered learning environment. Familiar teacher-student relationships, low thresholds for questions, and reflective learning discussions contribute to meaningful supervision and highlight the need for pedagogical competence in ambulance settings.