BACKGROUND

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, suspension of face-to-face learning and clinical placements for nursing students in Spain led us to expand and adapt clinical training to a teaching role. Final-year nursing students conducted an online clinical training focused on developing their health education competence.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of final-year nursing students who completed their clinical training in a teaching role practicum during the pandemic outbreak (March-June 2020).

METHOD

A qualitative content analysis of reflective journals from eighteen final-year nursing students was conducted.

FINDINGS

Three themes were revealed: 1) An array of emotions due to not being able to complete their final clinical placement and deciding not to join the nursing workforce; 2) Perceived benefits of a teaching role such as being able to help, contributing to knowledge, acquiring competence, and learning support and companionship; and 3) Recognizing the teaching role as fundamental to the nursing profession and becoming aware of the importance of scientific evidence in clinical practice.

DISCUSSION

Nursing students appreciated how teaching and health education are an integral part of the nurse's role. A teaching role allowed final-year students to acquire competence in a key nursing role during the pandemic outbreak providing a good practice for nursing education.