en Nursing Orginal research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Background:</span></i></b></span> <span new="" roman="" times="">Clinical environments are one of the most effective areas for acquiring the clinical skills of nursing students</span><span new="" roman="" times="">. </span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><b><i><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:#2980b9;">Objectives:</span> </span></i></b><span new="" roman="" times="">This study aimed to evaluate and compare the actual and preferential clinical learning environments.</span></span></span><br> <span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Methods:</i></b></span><span style="color:black"> This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1, 2019, to February 6, 2020 in Zanjan province. Samples included 380 nursing students who had the experience of one semester of internship were entered the study by stratified random sampling. Data collection tools were the Demographic Profile Questionnaire and Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI). The range of CLEI scores in both actual and preference learning environments is equal to 42-168. We analyzed data using SPSS software, version 22.0. We used descriptive and inferential statistics included independent t-test and one-way ANOVA to analyze the data. <span lang="EN">A significance level of 0.05 was considered</span>.</span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Results</span></i></b><b><span new="" roman="" times="">:</span></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> The mean (SD) score of the actual clinical learning environment was 109.50(12.25), and the preferred learning environment was 131.08 (14.54). The difference between the two variables was statistically significant (t=22.39, P<0.001). There was a difference in the mean of some dimensions of the nursing students&#39; preference and actual forms of clinical learning environment based on educational grade, different internships.</span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Conclusion:</span></i></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> There is a significant difference between the actual learning environment and students&#39; expectations. This finding emphasizes the need for attention by managers and decision-makers in nursing education to change and improve the clinical learning environment.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div> <h3 style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: justify;"></h3> Nursing Education, Clinical Learning Environment, Practice Nursing, Students' Satisfactionon 44 54 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-62-4&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zeinab Ghahremani ghahremani@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460014316 100319475328460014316 No Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran Masoume Moqaddam 100319475328460014317 100319475328460014317 No Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran Masoumeh Asgari 100319475328460014318 100319475328460014318 No Faculty of Nursing (Psychiatric Nursing), Abhar Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran Seyyed Meisam Ebrahimi 100319475328460014319 100319475328460014319 No Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Abhar School of Nursing, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Kourosh Amini 100319475328460014320 100319475328460014320 Yes Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran