Aims of the study was to compare perception of both clinical preceptors and nursing students in relation to clinical nursing practice in Italy. The recent introduction of primary level nursing education to Italian University primed many changes in processes and required to think new methods and contents. Special attention was adopted on revaluation of clinical practice. The study was part of a large investigation conducted from 2005 until 2006 as prevalence survey throughout two questionnaire addressed to nurses student and to clinical guides. Participants were all students (tot. 172) from one School of Nursing and their clinical guides (tot.120) working in a high specialization hospital located in a large urban area in Northern Italy. Students' and nurses' perceptions differed in these fields: knowledge of students' learning objectives, explanation of students' competences and objectives already reached, prevalence execution of assistance activity, organization of briefing/debriefing meetings, planning of a learning programme with students at the beginning of tutorship, choosing occasions related to nursing subjects discussed in classroom, filling an intermediate evaluation of the student tutorship in addiction to the final. The perceptions of the students and preceptors were opposite on several factors. This means that students and clinical guides approach the clinical experience from individualized viewpoints.
