IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown of nursing institutions changed nursing
students’ learning conditions in clinical practice. They were removed from their
ordinary clinical practice and isolated in their homes for one week before resuming an
alternative clinical practice. Owing to the changed learning conditions, nursing
students had to readjust and find new and different solutions to manage their own
learning.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the impact of removing first-year nursing students from
clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic on their perceived learning and
development.MethodsA qualitative descriptive and interpretative design based on group and individual
interviews was used. Eleven first-year nursing students from a university college in
Norway participated in the study. They were interviewed from their homes, after
completing their first 10-week clinical practice. Three group interviews and two
individual interviews were recorded using the digital live video aid Zoom and analyzed
using systematic text condensation.ResultsThe main theme “loss of experience,” summarized how the nursing students experienced
their first clinical practice during the COVID-19 lockdown. The nursing students shifted
from a predictable to an unpredictable clinical practice without supervision from the
nurse supervisor or the nurse educator. The organization and planning of the practice
were left to the students, who bore the responsibility of achieving the learning
outcomes. Three categories were identified: unpredictable learning situations,
compensating learning activities, and achieving learning outcomes.ConclusionsNursing students faced difficulties in their first clinical practice during the
COVID-19 lockdown, which made a challenging study situation. Too much autonomy and
responsibility for their own learning reinforced a loss of experience. The uncertainty
of the study situation potentially harmed their professional development, learning
outcomes, and self-efficacy, especially concerning basic nursing skills.