CALD Students and Nurse Preceptors: Perceptions of Clinical Experiences

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students require special attention from nurse preceptors during clinical practica due to challenges in communication that may present patient safety issues, create difficulty for nurse preceptors to complete their patient care, and cause students to be unable to meet clinical objectives.

A qualitative study was conducted to explore the perceptions of nurse preceptors and CALD nursing students about the impact of cultural and linguistic diversity of clinical practicum experiences.

Both CALD students and nurse preceptors recognized that achieving effective communication requires extra time. Nurses need to make sure students understand expectations. Students worry about whether they can make themselves understood. They may avoid asking questions due to feeling isolated by staff who seem impatient about the time needed for communication. Students may have trouble understanding the hand-off report, and need extra time to read the patient's medical record. Preceptors report that mentoring a student is extra work and they need accommodations from management such as training and adjustment of patient care assignments.

Students should be better prepared for clinical communication before beginning practicum. Patient assignments should be distributed in time for students to better prepare for the practicum day. Nurse preceptors need specialized training for teaching CALD students, and need to be given consideration in their patient care assignment when also mentoring a student. Nursing programs and clinical agencies must maintain exceptional communication to assure that all participants understand the objectives and needs of students and preceptors during clinical experiences.

Linda Treitler
PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Midwestern State University

Biography

Dr. Treitler received her BSN in 1976 and MSNEd. in 2013 from Oklahoma Baptist University, and PhD in Nursing Science in 2020 from Texas Woman's University. She teaches in the BSN program at Wilson School of Nursing at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Her research interest is how to better assist culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students to be successful in their nursing programs.

Phone: 479-790-0284
Email: linda.treitler@msutexas.edu