THE PATIENT AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE IN THE CLINICAL TRAINING OF NURSING STUDENTS
Keywords:
patient as an educational resource, clinical education, nursing students, patient involvement, professional competenciesAbstract
Contemporary nursing education increasingly emphasizes the active involvement of patients in the clinical learning process. Patients are no longer perceived solely as recipients of care but also as valuable educational resources contributing to the development of professional competencies, communication skills, and professional identity among nursing students. The aim of this study was to explore nursing students’ perceptions of the patient as an educational resource in clinical education. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 267 undergraduate nursing students at South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Bulgaria. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including a specialized module entitled “The Patient as an Educational Resource”, consisting of ten statements assessed on a five-point Likert scale. The findings demonstrated consistently positive student attitudes toward patient involvement in clinical education. The highest proportion of positive responses was observed for the statement that communication with patients motivates students to improve their skills (87.2%), followed by the contribution of patients to professional development (82.0%) and their role as active partners in the learning process (81.6%). The results highlight the significant contribution of patient participation to the development of professional, communicative, and ethical competencies among nursing students. The findings support the need for a more structured and systematic integration of patients and their families into clinical nursing education
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