About Clinical Performance of Nursing Students By Adah Chung Although the study of medicine, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and

clinical research is important for the practice of becoming a nurse, nursing students must also acquire the skills necessary to achieve competency. Nursing students must participate in clinical education, training and assessment in order to ensure that they can apply their knowledge in a competent manner for the care of their patients. Clinical performance of nursing students includes the accurate assessment and treatment of patients and the use of appropriate communication tools to be an effective caregiver. 1. Formal Education
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Nursing students must participate in a formal education program, either at an associate's degree or bachelor's degree level. Formal education includes coursework in areas such as pathophysiology, chemistry, psychology, nutrition and anatomy. An appropriate background in clinical knowledge and theory will help prepare nursing students for competent clinical performance. Training/Clinical Rotations

All nursing education programs have a clinical component, in which students are supervised by clinicians in a clinical setting, such as a hospital, a clinic, home care or long-term care. Most education programs prescribe a number of hours of clinical work that nursing students are required to complete, with learning objectives specific to the nursing student's level of learning. A preceptor is responsible for ensuring that nursing students receive the clinical experiences necessary to meet the learning objectives and also for providing feedback to the nursing student. Simulation

Simulation labs are another way for nursing students to learn and practice clinical skills. In simulation labs, nursing students can practice skills such as monitoring heart rate, taking blood pressure, drawing blood, giving injections or inserting an IV on a mannequin designed to simulate a patient. These labs provide a safe environment for nursing students to practice their clinical performance skills. Areas of Clinical Performance

The areas of clinical performance required by nursing students include taking a history, physical assessment, medical procedures (such as inserting an IV or a catheter), interpersonal skills with patient, family and other professionals and the development of a treatment plan. Assessment of Clinical Performance

Clinical performance of nursing students is measured through observation and feedback during clinical rotations. They also are assessed using simulated clinical practice exams, in which nursing students complete simulated scenarios with patients in a fair and

objective way. Clinical performance of nursing students can be assessed and compared objectively through a clinical assessment using standardized patients.

Theories of Academic Performance Among Nursing Students By Siobhan Egan As nursing shortages threaten to create problems in the delivery of health care, nursing academic programs aim to encourage nursing candidates who will succeed. Studies have explored the predictive factors for success in university nursing programs. 1. Self-Regulated Learning
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A study by the Graduate School of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia, suggested that students who engage in self-regulated learning are best prepared to meet the academic rigors of a nursing degree program. The study found that to be academically successful in a first-year bachelor of science nursing course, students need strong selfefficacy beliefs to employ a variety of learning strategies and to be convinced of the value and relevance of science to their nursing program. Intellectual Factors Better Predictors Than Non-Intellectual

A study in the Association of Black Nursing Faculty Journal hypothesized that certain non-intellectual factors, such as coping style, number of personal problems, age, marital status and employment status, would be more predictive of academic performance in the first year than would intellectual factors, such as high school grade point average and academic achievement test scores. However, the study found that intellective factors as a group were better predictors than the non-intellective factors. Support-Seeking Good Predictor

A Journal of Advanced Nursing study hypothesized that age and entry qualifications influence Northern England students' academic motivation and that this in turn affects their decisions to seek support, which subsequently influences their academic performance. The study found that support-seeking was indeed more predictive of student performance than entry qualifications.

3.5 DATA ANALYSIS PLAN Upon completion of data collection, data were coded, captured on Excel and theni m p o r t e d i n t o t h e s t a t i s t i c a l P a c k a g e f o r S o c i a l S c i e n c e s ( S P S S ) v e r s i o n 1 4 . 0 f o r analysis. Descriptive statistics were used mainly to summarize the data and provideanswers to the first three research objectives, whereas, the independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests and post hoc Tukeys HSD test were used to identifysignificant differences for the last research objective. These analyses included thecomparisons of final year nursing students knowledge, attitudes and practices bydemographic characteristics

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