A good beginning: the long-term effects of a clinical communication programme.

Nursing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds play a valuable role in meeting the health care needs of multi-ethnic and multi-lingual societies. However, such students may not succeed during clinical placements due to difficulties with spoken communication. This paper presents the long-term effects of a language programme that aimed to improve students' spoken communication on clinical placements. Final year students who had completed the programme in the first year of their undergraduate degree were interviewed about their experiences of clinical placements and their perceptions of any long-term effects of the programme. The results suggest that early intervention language programmes may contribute to greater confidence and success for students. However, ongoing language programmes and institutional changes are required to improve students' clinical learning experiences.