Understanding What Nursing School Clinical Placement Is
Written by:
University of Tulsa
• Jul 29, 2026
To learn more, check out this infographic created by The University of Tulsa’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Nursing Clinical Placements
What is a clinical placement in nursing school? Clinicals place nursing students in varied health care settings where they gain experience under the supervision of a preceptor.
During their clinical placements, nursing students apply their classroom learning in real health care environments and with real patients to build their hands-on clinical skills in acute care, chronic care, and specialty care.
Clinical Placement Basics
Nursing schools typically require students to complete 500 to 1,000 clinical hours to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, according to CareRev. The American Nurses Association (ANA) reports that clinical placement shifts generally are from 4 to 12 hours long. Clinical placement sites include medical-surgical care, acute care, long-term care, pediatrics, labor and delivery, and mental health care departments.
Core Nursing Tasks Practiced in Clinicals
Clinical placements give nursing students hands-on experience with core nursing tasks that include:
- Taking comprehensive patient assessments
- Assisting health care practitioners during procedures
- Administering medications
- Recording vital signs
Nursing students operate medical equipment and perform diagnostic tests during clinicals. These placements also allow nursing students to educate patients and their families about managing medical issues, a core nursing task that requires clinical judgment.
Nursing Students on Their Clinicals
According to a 2024 study on the perceptions of nursing students about clinicals published in SAGE Open Nursing, 87% said they looked forward to their clinical placement. The same percentage reported that preceptors helped students when they were having trouble. And 78% of students shared that they knew what had to be done in a clinical setting.
5 Benefits of Completing a Clinical Placement
Nursing clinicals are a vital part of nursing school. In addition to providing nursing students with valuable experience and feedback, clinical placements help them develop their clinical skills, explore specialization options, and meet the requirements for licensure.
Gain Supervised Experience
Clinical instructors and preceptors train nursing students in patient care, safety protocols, and nursing best practices. In addition, nursing students receive feedback as they develop their clinical skills.
Develop Key Nursing Skills
Clinical placements enable students to develop their nursing skills in several important areas:
- Patient Care: Assessing patients’ health, communicating with patients, interacting with patients’ families, documenting care
- Clinical Judgment: Prioritizing needs, making clinical decisions
- Health Care Delivery: Administering medications, caring for wounds, collecting specimens
- Professionalism: Adhering to nursing ethics, coordinating patients’ care, advocating for patients, maintaining safety standards
Learn About Nursing Specializations
Each clinical placement exposes nursing students to different specializations and work settings. As a result, clinicals can help nurses choose a focus area.
Meet RN Licensure Requirements
All states require aspiring nurses to gain clinical experience to qualify for an RN license. Some states set a minimum number of clinical hours for licensure.
Make Connections
Students have an opportunity to connect with their peers during clinical experiences. They can also get to know their instructors and other professionals in the facility where they complete their clinical placement, which can help them network.
Tips to Prepare for a Nursing Clinical
Preparing before starting a clinical placement helps nursing students get the most out of each clinical experience.
In fact, 71% of nursing students said their anxiety increased before starting a clinical placement, according to a 2025 survey in Nursing Reports. In addition, 55% of students reported that planning ahead of time for their clinical placement positively contributed to their patient care knowledge and their safety as practitioners.
Use Clinical Simulations
Nursing students can practice their clinical skills in a safe setting using clinical simulations. These simulations immerse students in clinical environments and provide them with multipatient scenarios and case studies.
Simulations help students develop clinical decision-making skills and enable them to receive feedback from experienced nurses.
Attend a Preclinical Skills Boot Camp
Some nursing programs offer a boot camp as an opportunity for students to practice clinical exercises under the supervision of nursing faculty.
Create a Preclinical Review
Nursing students can benefit from reviewing what they’ve learned in their classes before starting each clinical placement.
For example, students can review the type of health care setting for each placement, the most common diagnoses for the unit, and common medications prescribed in the unit. Reviewing potential complications experienced by patients in the unit can also help nursing students feel prepared.
Plan Ahead to Avoid Common Mistakes
Nursing students can approach their clinicals as a learning opportunity. They can try to avoid making preventable mistakes by planning to ask questions and request help when they need it.
During clinicals, nursing students can also make sure to review each patient’s diagnosis and medications, stay organized when providing patient care, and prepare before each clinical shift.
Get Ready for Clinical Placements
Clinical placements enable nursing students to qualify for their RN license and prepare for an entry-level RN position. Clinical placement experiences can also help nurses make decisions about whether or not they want to pursue a role in advanced nursing practice. As a result, completing their clinical placements is a critical step in every nurse’s career development.
Sources
American Nurses Association, “What to Expect During Nursing Clinicals”
Archer Review, “How to Prepare for Nursing Clinicals: A Student’s Guide to Clinical Rotations”
BMC Nursing, “Satisfaction and Anxiety Level During Clinical Training Among Nursing Students”
California Board of Registered Nursing, Steps to Become a California Registered Nurse
CareRev, “Navigating the Clinical Experience: A Guide to Nursing School Clinicals”
Delaware Department of State, Board of Nursing
National League for Nursing, Clinicals for Nursing
The University of Tulsa, Nursing Student Practicum Requirements
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses
Virginia Legislative Information System, Curriculum for Direct Client Care
