The Effects of Clinical Exposure on Examination Performance of Nursing Students

Background Timing of didactic theoretical content with clinical experiences can be challenging due to limited clinical placements and insufficient experienced faculty. However, appropriate and timely clinical experiences for nursing students are essential for developing knowledge and skills. This project evaluated the effects of the timing of clinical experiences on examination performance. Method A retrospective review compared students' first examination scores ( n = 1,620) with the timing and type of clinical exposure in a traditional baccalaureate nursing program in the Midwest. Results No significant differences in examination scores and timing of clinical exposures were found in adult medical-surgical courses. However, student examination scores were significantly lower in maternal/neonatal and child-health courses when students did not have a clinical exposure linked to the examination. Conclusion Faculty should consider the effect of the timing of clinical experiences for specialty courses. Timing of medical-surgical content and clinical experiences may not be as essential. [ J Nurs Educ . 2024;63(X):XXX–XXX.]