Nursing students' experience of an alternative model for supervision during practical studies in the municipal health service: A qualitative study

Aim: The aim of the study is to describe how Norwegian nursing students experience clinical practice when the Strengthened Supervision in Practice model is used together with peer learning. Background: Clinical practice is one of the most important parts of nursing education and the nurse supervisor plays an important role in the education of nursing students. Challenges arise because nursing students do not always receive quality supervision in practice. The quality of supervision affects the learning outcomes and well-being of the students during clinical practice. To meet the challenge that students do not always receive high-quality supervision, we wanted to try out a new supervision model Strengthened Supervision in Practice. Peer learning was also tried out in clinical practice. Method: The study used a qualitative design. Data were collected from three focus group interviews with a total of 11 nursing students participating. Findings: Clinical nurses are the most competent to supervise and assess nursing students in clinical practice. Peer learning provides safety in a learning situation. Conclusions: This study shows that the supervisor and their supervision competence are important for the student's learning. Cooperation with the lecturer in common meetings is important to make sure supervisors have quality guidance and assessment skills. The Strengthened Supervision in Practice model seems to meet expectations, but further research is necessary to develop the model further.