Please cite this article in press as: Koch, J., et al. Is there a relationship between the diversity charac- teristics of nursing students and their clinical placement experiences? A literature review. Collegian (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2014.03.007 ARTICLE IN PRESS +Model COLEGN-264; No. of Pages 12 Collegian (2014) xxx, xxx—xxx Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect j ourna l h omepage: www.elsevier.com/l ocate/coll REVIEW Is there a relationship between the diversity characteristics of nursing students and their clinical placement experiences? A literature review Jane Koch, RN RNT MA a,b,* , Bronwyn Everett, RN, PhD b , Jane Phillips, RN, PhD c , Patricia M. Davidson, RN, BA, ITC, MEd, PhD d,e,f a Centre for Cardiovascular & Chronic Care, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia b School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia c Palliative Nursing, Cunningham Centre for Palliative Care & School of Nursing Sydney, The University of Notre Dame Australia, PO Box 944, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia d Johns Hopkins University, United States e Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, University of Technology Sydney, Australia f Cardiovascular Research at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Received 19 December 2013; received in revised form 28 March 2014; accepted 28 March 2014 KEYWORDS Nursing student; Diversity characteristics; Clinical placement Summary Background: There has been an increase in ethno-cultural, linguistic, and socio-demographical diversity in students enrolling in undergraduate nursing programs. Diversity also involves other characteristics, but little is known about how diversity impacts on the clinical experiences of nursing students. Aim: The aim of this review is to identify studies which describe the clinical placement expe- riences of nursing students who have a broad range of diversity characteristics. Methods: Major databases were searched and original studies published from 2003 to 30 June 2013 were eligible for inclusion. An expanded definition of diversity was used to include characteristics such as ethnicity, language, age, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, carer responsibilities, sexual orientation and special needs/disability. * Corresponding author at: Family and Community Health Research Group (FaCH), School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 9685 9395; fax: +61 2 9685 9599. E-mail addresses: j.koch@uws.edu.au (J. Koch), b.everett@uws.edu.au (B. Everett), jane.phillips@nd.edu.au (J. Phillips), pdavids3@jhu.edu (P.M. Davidson). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2014.03.007 1322-7696/© 2014 Australian College of Nursing Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd.