Aim: The overall aim was to develop and evaluate a conceptual learning model grounded in a caritative caring perspective aimed to facilitate undergraduate nursing students’ learning during clinical practice.

Methods: This thesis comprises four studies with a descriptive explorative design overall. In the inductively applied research, different designs using both qualitative and quantitative methods, were used. Studies I–III used qualitative methods; data for study I were collected using the Delphi method and analysed using qualitative data analysis. In study II, data were collected using focus group interviews and analysed using latent content analysis. In study III, data were collected using individual interviews and analysed using a phenomenographic approach. Study IV used quantitative methods and data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using statistical methods.

Results: Study I resulted in a conceptual learning model grounded in hermeneutics and a caritative caring perspective. The Model for Improvement in Learning Outcomes (MILO) encompasses eight concepts: four intrapersonal, i.e. the students’ own characteristics, reflecting understanding, and four contextual concepts, i.e. environmental concepts, reflecting structure. Study II showed that students’ learning is facilitated as a result of natural actions and elements that occur in daily life, integrating natural caring with professional caring. Studies III and IV showed that students’ learning was a gain in knowledge and understanding of supportive elements for learning and the perspective of the patients, and a gain in engagement and dedication. Study IV also showed that the intrapersonal concepts were valued more than the contextual concepts in the three different semesters studied. The use of the applications was valued more at the start of the students’ education. Some of the concepts and their applications had not been used in accordance with MILO’s implementation in the region involved.

Conclusions: The fundamentals needed to become a professional caring nurse include having compassion and competence. Undergraduate nursing students’ learning during clinical practice needs to be facilitated by a theoretical foundation establishing an ethical bearing, by knowledge and understanding of one self and of the patient as a whole, and by challenged learning using a diversity of tools to achieve the intended outcome of better health and well-being for the patient.