Students (n = 362) from three universities participated in an anonymous online survey termed the Belongingness Scale-Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE), and eighteen of those students participated in semi-structured interviews.

In comparing the extent to which nursing students experience belongingness it was determined that the mean BES-CPE scores of participants from the UK were statistically higher than participants from either of the two Australian universities. Of the demographic variables analysed, previous nursing experience, gender and country of birth, were not a strong influence on students’ experience of belongingness.  The effects of age and English as a first language were less certain.

 The qualitative data revealed that the experiences of the participants from the three universities were remarkably similar. The participants described placement experiences that spanned a continuum from those that promoted a high degree of belongingness to those that provoked intense feelings of alienation. Belongingness was seen to be both a deeply personal and a contextually-mediated experience. The interpersonal relationships forged with the registered nurses that students worked with were the most important influence on belongingness.

A number of consequences of belongingness were identified by students. Of these it was the relationship between belongingness and students’ capacity and motivation for learning to nurse that emerged as a critical and recurring theme. Given that clinical placements are specifically designed to facilitate authentic learning opportunities, this is a significant finding that has repercussions at both the micro and macro levels.