Clinical Rotations

Collecting meaningful feedback from nursing students is essential for maintaining high-quality clinical education experiences. However, many nursing programs face a common challenge: low evaluation participation rates and time-consuming administrative processes. A recently published quality improvement initiative from Auburn University College of Nursing demonstrates how integrating clinical evaluations into existing clinical education workflows can help address these challenges.

As competition for hospital-based clinical placements intensifies, many programs have turned to non-traditional clinical sites to expand capacity. But increasing placement availability is only part of the story. Expanding clinical education beyond hospital walls is not just a scheduling strategy — it is a workforce retention strategy.

When it comes to clinical education, collaboration isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. That’s the guiding philosophy behind an initiative at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), showcased at the 2025 Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) Aspire Convention. Sarah Lesniak, MS, RN, NPD-BC, CSPHA, and Jill Cohen, BA, presented their poster, “Regional Collaborative: Initiatives to Enhance Nursing Student Clinical Placements,” detailing how a multi-hospital, multi-school collaboration came together to redesign their clinical placement system.