Distribution and Utilisation of Clinical Placements Across Care Settings: A Four‐Cohort Analysis
Guillermo Pedreira-Robles, Ariadna Graells-Sans, Montserrat Sanclemente-Dalmau, Melissa González-Álvarez, Esther Insa-CalderonBackground
The distribution of clinical placements is a critical aspect of nursing education, influencing competency development. In Spain, the imbalance in clinical placements across care settings remains a significant issue, especially the dominance of hospital‐based training.
Objectives
This study aimed to analyse the distribution and occupancy of clinical placements across primary, transitional and specialised care settings in a nursing program at a public university in Barcelona, Spain, focusing on four academic cohorts.
Materials and Methods
A retrospective cross‐sectional and descriptive study was conducted using institutional records from 331 nursing graduates (92.46% of the target population) who completed nine required practicum periods. Data were analysed descriptively using frequencies, percentages and means to assess placement distribution by care setting and occupancy rates to evaluate the utilisation of available training opportunities.
Results
Specialised care accounted for 75%–76% of total clinical placement weeks, while primary and transitional care accounted for 15%–16% and 7%–9%, respectively. Primary care placements showed consistently high occupancy (over 89%), but transitional care was underutilised despite availability. The descriptive analysis indicated a structural mismatch among care levels in terms of available training exposure across the analysed cohorts.
Conclusions
The findings highlight a structural imbalance in the distribution of clinical placements, with a heavy reliance on specialised care. To bridge this gap, the study highlights the importance of evaluating allocation frameworks and enhancing operational coordination between educational institutions and healthcare providers. This could potentially facilitate diverse clinical experiences that better align with population health needs and contemporary healthcare delivery.