Nursing students' evaluation of Primary Health Care clinical placements: A cross-sectional study

Aim:
Evaluate quality and satisfaction of nursing students' Primary Health Care clinical placements.

Background:
There is growing recognition of the need to expand the Primary Health Care nursing workforce, with positive clinical placement experiences considered essential for preparing and inspiring future careers in these settings; however, few graduate nurses choose this career path.

Design:
A cross-sectional study design using purposive sampling.

Participants:
Data were sourced from National Placement Evaluation Centre's 2023/2024 dataset using the validated PET–Nursing survey. The tool includes 20 items across two subscales - Clinical Environment and Learning Support, with the final item assessing overall placement satisfaction. Surveys were distributed across 37
educational institutions, and 2223 Primary Health Care placements were extracted for analysis from an overall dataset of 37,111.

Method:
Descriptive statistics summarised student ratings of Primary Health Care placements. Inferential analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis tests and Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons, measured differences across clinical settings and demographics. The study is reported using STROBE checklist for cross-sectional research.

Results:
Students rated Primary Health Care placements more favourably when compared to other placements. Within Primary Health Care placements, community nursing, community mental health, hospital in the home, and correctional centres outperformed general practice placements. Lower student ratings for skill and knowledge development during Primary Health Care placements may reflect gaps in pre-placement preparation and in supervisors' capability. Demographic analyses revealed higher satisfaction among placements in medium-sized rural towns, longer-duration placements, and male respondents.

Conclusion:
Primary Health Care placements were rated favourably, often higher than tertiary hospital settings. Variations within Primary Health Care settings, especially in general practice, highlight opportunities to improve quality and education. Findings identified specific areas of satisfaction and placement quality concerns, while highlighting further research recommendations to encourage early career nurses into the Primary Health Care workforce.