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ObjectiveTo explore nursing students’ interprofessional educational (IPE) experiences during their most recent clinical rotation and to explore the factors supporting IPE experiences.DesignNational cross-sectional study on data collected in 2016.Setting95 Bachelor of Nursing Sciences programmes; 27 Italian Universities.ParticipantsStudents who (a) were attending or just completed their clinical rotations lasting at least 2 weeks in the same unit, and (b) willing to participate in the study.Primary and secondary outcomesFirst to measure the occurrence of IPE experiences in the most recent clinical rotation; the secondary outcome was to discover factors associated with IPE occurrence.MeasuresThe primary outcome was measured using questions based on a 4-point Likert scale (from 0=‘never’ to 3=‘always’). Explanatory variables were collected at both individual and regional levels with items included in the same questionnaire.Results9607 out of 10 480 students took part in the study. Overall, 666 (6.9%) perceived not having had any IPE experience, while 3248 (33.8%), 3653 (38%) and 2040 (21.3%) reported having experienced IPE opportunities ‘only a little’, to ‘some extent’ or ‘always’, respectively. From the multilevel analysis performed using the generalised linear mixed model, factors promoting the occurrence of IPE experiences were mainly set at (a) the clinical learning environment level (high: learning environment quality, self-directed learning encouragement, learning opportunities, quality of safety and nursing care and quality of tutorial strategies); and (b) the regional level, where significant differences emerged across regions. In contrast, male gender was negatively associated with the perception of having had IPE experiences.ConclusionsA large number of nursing students experienced either ‘never’ or ‘only a little’ IPE opportunities, thus suggesting that nursing education tends to remain within the nursing profession. Limiting students’ interprofessional exposure during education can prevent future collaborative approaches that have been shown to be essential in providing best patient care. In order to increase IPE exposure, it is necessary to develop strategies designed both at the singular unit and regional levels.

Validation of the Italian Clinical Learning Environment Instrument (SVIAT): study protocol.Nursing students obtain most of their university credits in internship environments whose quality can affect their clinical learning. Several tools are available to measure the quality of the clinical learning environment (CLE) as perceived by students: these instruments developed in other countries, were validated in Italian but do not discriminate those CLEs capable (or not) to promote significant clinical learning.To validate an instrument to measure the capability of the CLE to generate clinical learning; the secondary aim is to describe the learning environments as perceived by nursing students according to individual course site and tutorial models adopted.The study will be developed in three phases: a) instrument development and pilot phase, b) validation of the psychometric properties of the instrument and c) description of the CLEs as perceived by the students including factors/item confirmed in the validation process. Expected outcomes. A large validation, with more than 8,000 participating students is expected; the construct under lying will be confirmed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and will report high internal consistency; the instrument will report also a high test-retest and inter-rater reliability; in addition, the instrument will demonstrate predictive ability by discriminating those units able (or not) to activate effective learning processes.

To describe the evolution and results of health projects run in hospitals and managed by Nursing Coordinators.A convenience sample of 13 north Italian hospital, and a sample of 56 Nursing Coordinators with a permanent position from at least 1 year, was contacted. The following information was collected with a structured interview: projects run in 2009, topic, if bottom up or top down, number of staff involved and state (ended, still running, stopped).In 2009 Nursing Coordinators started 114 projects (mean 1.8±1.2 each): 94 (82.5%) were improvement projects, 17 (14.9%) accreditation, and 3 (2.6%) research. The projects involved 2.732 staff members (73.7%; average commitment 84 hours); 55 (48.2%) projects were still running, 52 (45.6%) completed, for 5 (4.4%) there was no assessment and 2 (1.8%) had been stopped.Nurses are regularly involved in several projects. A systematic monitoring of the results obtained and stabilization strategies are scarce. Due to the large number of resources invested, a correct management and the choice of areas relevant for patients' problems and needs are pivotal.