ABSTRACT
Clinical placements provide invaluable experiential learning for undergraduate nursing students to acquire skills and knowledge essential for professional practice. However, students' clinical learning experiences vary, underscoring the need to explore their perceptions to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This study examined undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment across three hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 221 students across all academic levels using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that 65% of students rated their clinical learning experience as good or excellent. Key enhancers identified were clinical supervision (72%), collaborative peer learning (68%), and exposure to diverse cases (61%). Clinical supervisors facilitated learning through guidance, feedback, and motivation. Peer learning occurred through group discussions, sharing experiences, and working together on procedures. Exposure to varied cases in different settings consolidated their skills and knowledge. However, 46% agreed that inadequate supervision from nurses constrained learning. Poor staff attitudes and reluctance to involve students, cited by 39%, limited practice opportunities. Additionally, 29% felt unable to practice clinical skills independently. The study conclude that students perceived their clinical learning positively overall, confirming the indispensable role of clinical placements. Supervision quality, staff engagement with students, and curriculum design allowing autonomous practice require improvement. The researcher therefore recommend, Advocacy by nurses to foster collaborative learning environments is essential to nurture practice-ready graduates through high-quality clinical education. As students' clinical experiences shape their professional development, continuous efforts must refine placements by strengthening supervision, building partnerships between academia and healthcare facilities, and redesigning curricula based on feedback.
Key words: Undergraduate, nursing students, clinical learning, experience, perception
