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Abstract

Clinical learning is a key aspect of healthcare education, offering students hands-on experience in real-world settings. This study explored the challenges faced by nursing students within the Clinical Learning Environment (CLE) at selected private institutions in Himachal Pradesh. A descriptive research design was employed, with 347 nursing students selected through convenience sampling. Findings indicated several significant challenges. About 34.2% of students reported limited exposure to unusual clinical cases, while 22.2% noted a lack of opportunities to document in patient medical records. Additionally, 28.6% experienced difficulty in applying a patient-centered approach during clinical practice. Supervision-related concerns were also highlighted, with 18.7% of students reporting inadequate feedback and 19.6% expressing dissatisfaction with their interactions with supervisors. Furthermore, 20.8% felt unprepared for clinical encounters, reflecting a need for better orientation and support. The study revealed a strong positive correlation at the 0.01 level among all domains of the Clinical Learning Evaluation Questionnaire (CLEQ), including Cases, Authenticity of clinical experience, Supervision, Organization of the nurse-patient encounter, and Motivation/learning needs. The maximum CLEQ score recorded was 200, with a mean score of 156.52 and a standard deviation of 14.80. Additionally, a statistically significant association was observed between the type of hospital posting and CLEQ scores (p < 0.01), suggesting institutional factors play a role in the student learning experience. However, no significant association was found between CLEQ scores and students’ age or year of study. These findings underscore the need for improved supervision, better clinical exposure, and enhanced student support.