L. Baillie, NURSE TEACHERS FEELINGS ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN CLINICAL-PRACTICE - ANEXPLORATORY-STUDY, Journal of advanced nursing, 20(1), 1994, pp. 150-159
The aim of this small study was to explore nurse teachers' feelings ab
out participating in clinical practice. An exploratory design was used
entailing focused interviews with 10 nurse teachers which explored th
eir current participation in clinical practice and their feelings abou
t this. Other areas addressed were the perceived benefits and negative
effects of participating in practice, as well as the factors which ma
y inhibit or enable teachers participating in practice. It was found t
hat while half the teachers had some participation in practice, only o
ne participated on a regular basis. The teachers were generally dissat
isfied with their current level of clinical practice. The teachers ide
ntified a number of potential benefits of practising, including keepin
g in touch with clinical practice, maintenance of clinical skills, imp
roved relationships with trained staff and the opportunity to use know
ledge and skills in practice. Perceived negative effects were that the
ir clinical participation may be misinterpreted, or may impinge on oth
er aspects of the role. Some also felt that the limited time which the
y would have available, would lead to their clinical practice being in
effective. The two major factors which affected whether nurse teachers
were able to participate in practice were time and the college philos
ophy/culture. Other important factors were support from clinical staff
, clinical confidence, and the teacher's role perception and attitude
towards practice. As recent publications have inferred the need for nu
rse teachers to remain involved in clinical practice, teachers need to
identify how clinical practice may best be achieved, and clarify thei
r aims for practising. Different models of practice may be appropriate
for individual teachers. It seems that a supportive environment and a
college culture which values nurse teachers practising would be benef
icial if clinical practice is to become part of the teacher's role.