Perceptions of nursing students and nursing faculty members regarding the clinical preparation of baccalaureate nursing student

The main purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to uncover the perceptions of nursing students and nursing faculty members regarding their current methods of clinical preparation by nursing students and how reflective thought is encouraged.;Participants included six nursing students and six faculty members from three midwestern universities. Methods employed included interviews and document analysis. Study results revealed that clinical preparation, while beneficial, was time consuming and interfered with students' and faculty members' personal time.;Suggestions were given to improve the process for both students and faculty members that will hopefully increase reflective thinking and possibly the critical thinking of the nursing students while taking into the consideration the competing demands of the students and faculty members.