Qualitative Study Identifies How Senior Nursing Students Experience Clinical Practicum Mastery

Senior nursing students perceive the development of clinical mastery as an evolving process defined by translating theoretical knowledge into direct patient care while gaining confidence and autonomy, according to a qualitative descriptive study conducted in Taiwan.

Developing mastery during practicum placements represents an essential milestone within nursing curricula, as emerging practitioners must learn to integrate academic coursework into active healthcare delivery. Despite its recognized significance in professional preparation, empirical understanding regarding how trainees conceptualize mastery or experience its progression throughout supervised hospital placements has remained sparse. To address this knowledge gap, the research team sought to clarify how graduating students understand and undergo the development of clinical mastery, documenting the primary obstacles they encounter, the environmental conditions that bolster their learning, and the coping mechanisms they deploy when confronting clinical challenges.

To investigate these educational dynamics, investigators implemented a qualitative descriptive design involving 44 senior nursing students across Taiwan between September 2020 and May 2021. The research protocol gathered retrospective accounts from students who had completed their assigned clinical practicums, engaging them through seven semi-structured focus-group interviews.

The research team evaluated the interview transcripts using an inductive, team-based thematic analysis informed by the six-phase framework established by Braun and Clarke. To ensure analytical rigor and trustworthiness across the interpretive process, the authors maintained a systematic audit trail, engaged in collaborative analytic discussions, and held regular reflexive discussions.

The resulting analysis established four core themes: From Knowledge to Practice: Defining Mastery; When Confidence Is Tested; The Power of Supportive Learning Environments; and Responding to Challenges and Continuing to Learn. In defining mastery, students emphasized that clinical competence involved applying knowledge to patient care with increasing confidence and independence in their clinical responsibilities. However, this transition frequently tested their confidence, as participants described facing intense performance pressure, persistent self-doubt, and unsupportive learning experiences, alongside difficulties translating classroom learning into patient care.

The findings underscored that students placed substantial value on supportive preceptors, constructive peer relationships, consistent constructive feedback, and opportunities for supervised independence.

The study documented that participants relied on purposeful reflection, active help-seeking, and thorough preparation prior to clinical tasks. In addition to procedural preparation, trainees utilized emotional coping and deliberate perseverance to withstand placement stress and counteract feelings of self-doubt.

In their concluding assessment, the researchers observed that developing mastery is a multifaceted process involving the application of knowledge in patient care, increasing confidence and independence, and navigating clinical challenges within supportive learning environments. The authors noted that clinical educators may support these developmental experiences by providing constructive feedback, encouraging systematic reflection, and creating clear opportunities for supervised independence. However, the investigators explicitly emphasized that the study was not a clinical trial and the effectiveness of these educational approaches was not formally evaluated in this investigation.

Subject of Research: Senior nursing students' experiences of developing clinical mastery during practicum placements

Article Title: Senior nursing students’ experiences of developing mastery during clinical practicum: a qualitative study

Article References: Yang, H.-C., Wang, J., Yeh, S.-L., & Kuo, W.-Y. (2026). Senior nursing students’ experiences of developing mastery during clinical practicum: a qualitative study. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05667-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05667-9

Keywords: nursing education, clinical practicum, mastery development, senior nursing students, qualitative descriptive study, focus group interviews, thematic analysis, Braun and Clarke framework, clinical preceptors, supervised independence, performance pressure, peer relationships, constructive feedback, reflective practice, help-seeking behaviors, clinical learning environments, emotional coping, patient care transition