This contributed book is the first to focus on the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES) framework. The origin instrument version of the CLES-scale has been published in Finland in 2002, and has generated wide European and International interest. The CLES network has pursued Europe-wide research. This book brings a unique perspective of students’ clinical practicum in healthcare education and discusses how the national quality system can be used in the continual development of student supervisory systems. The book first presents the theoretical and practical principles of clinical learning, then defines the challenges of clinical learning for mentorship, clinical staff and nurse teachers. This volume also offers examples of the benefits and future perspectives of the CLES framework in healthcare education. It is aimed at researchers and clinical professionals who contribute to students’ clinical learning at universities and healthcare organisations. It is especially suitable as a learning tool for clinical staff mentorship training courses and master’s level healthcare education studies.

Clinical experience is the most important component of nursing education. As part of the clinical education environment, the teaching behaviors of nursing faculty have considerable potential to influence the learning of students. To produce effective learning by students, nurse educators have a responsibility to instruct students so that learning is optimal. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of students of clinical teaching behaviors of nursing faculty. The study uncovers new knowledge about clinical teaching behaviors based on the student perceptions during their own clinical experiences. A non-experimental survey with a descriptive exploratory design was used. A single convenience sample was drawn from senior level nursing students attending an on-campus associate degree nursing program in southern North Carolina. All students had completed clinical courses involving patient care. The instrument utilized was the Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory. The survey consists of forty seven teaching behaviors for which students rated frequency of use for the clinical instructor on a seven point Likert scale.