Factors Associated With Readiness for Clinical Practice Among Senior Nursing Students

Background: Practice readiness is a key indicator of successful transition from nursing education to professional practice. However, despite its importance, the factors associated with practice readiness among senior nursing students, particularly within clinical learning environments, remain underexplored. Purpose: To examine the associations between the quality of the clinical learning environment, peer academic support, and practice readiness among senior nursing students. Methods: The cross-sectional mixed-methods study included 142 senior nursing students. Results: Age, program type, and employment during studies were negatively associated with practice readiness, whereas the perceived quality of the clinical education environment was a strong positive predictor, and peer academic support showed a borderline positive effect. The model explained 21.8% of the variance in practice readiness. Qualitative analysis identified 3 themes: clinical exposure, theoretical and simulation-based learning, and interpersonal support. Conclusions: These findings highlight key contributors to practice readiness among senior nursing students, thereby underscoring the importance of high-quality clinical learning environments, instructor engagement, and peer support in enhancing professional preparedness.