A Warm Welcome: Reimagining Clinical Experience Orientation for Nursing Students

A healthy clinical environment enhances nursing students' learning, safety, recruitment, and caring skills. To reduce first-day stress and promote students' sense of belonging, an intentional orientation program was developed and piloted in eight inpatient units with several schools of nursing. The 3T approach - tour, talk, touch - involved a comprehensive unit tour, patient communication, and hands-on care. Feedback from 25 students showed increased confidence and sense of belonging after the intervention, highlighting informative tours, supportive preceptors, and practical communication as main benefits. The initiative provides an example of a successful orientation that builds student belonging, self-efficacy, and collaboration.