Experiences of Third Year Student Nurses during Rural Clinical Practice, Fiji

Introduction: Nursing’s role is continuously adapting to meet the diverse and changing demands of the healthcare system. As healthcare delivery models shift, nursing professionals are being asked to take on more responsibilities and expand their roles to support these changes. Nurses are crucial in promoting health equity, ensuring that all individuals have access to the care and resources they need, regardless of their socio-economic status, race, or geographic location. This involves advocating for marginalized populations and ensuring that healthcare systems do not perpetuate disparities. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of student nurses in rural clinical placements using focus group discussions with twenty-one third year purposively selected student nurses who were attached to six-week remote rural communities for their clinical placements. Student nurses enjoyed their attachment by learning about the different cultures within the communities and finding disparities in relating theory to clinical practice. Conclusion: From the results of this study and the two themes that were discussed, it is evident that nursing students need to be provided with essential resources for their clinical placements to execute the nursing care they have planned for the community, therefore, to be prepared for the rural life during classroom teaching. The result of this study could be used to better assist nursing students during clinical placement in the future.