Supportive Student Learning Environment

An essential resource in which the mentor can prepare student nurses for their role as professionals is the learning environment (Egan and Jaye, 2009). Walsh (2014) emphasised that the learning environment has to be an area conducive for learning. Jokelainen et al. (2012) asserts that a mutual relationship between the mentor and mentee can deeply facilitate a supportive learning environment. Mentors are expected to help the student become familiar with the environment, by observing and review student’s performance and progress of learning through proper documentation (NMC, 2010). An understanding of the learning objectives and outcome, and can help the mentor set ground rules for the students (NMC, 2010). This in turn can have an influence on the quality of teaching and the student learning process, thereby enabling the student have a positive start (Andrew et al, 2010; Boud, 2012). However, an unfriendly environment can cause tension and anxiety for the student, thus leading to impairment of the learning process (Fish, 2013). Stuart (2013) argued that student learn most when they are not under pressure while Jokelainen et. al. (2011) said that for learning environment to be supportive, it should have planned learning opportunities. However, the nature of real-life clinical environment allows for opportunistic unplanned conditions (Vinales, 2015).

Nevertheless, it is the role of the ward manager to provide appropriate learning opportunities with regards to ensuring that the learning environment is appropriately resourced with experienced staff and mentors who are up to date with, and understand the nursing programme (NMC,