The Theory Practice Interface [manuscript]

Résumé du livre

Summary:This research explores how experienced nurses perceive their role as clinical teachers in an environment that is challenged not only with on-going changes in healthcare delivery, but also by the expectation that it will continue to provide positive clinical learning opportunities for undergraduate student nurses. Schools of nursing in Australia have undergone rapid and far-reaching change as a consequence of the legislated transfer of nursing education to the tertiary sector. Expectations that nurse academics will possess higher degrees and be actively involved in research mean that faculty members have less time to be directly involved in their students' learning during clinical practice placements. The literature indicates that the responsibility for moment to moment teaching and learning thus appears to have been implicitly given to clinical staff who may not possess any formal qualifications for teaching, yet are largely responsible for students' learning through clinical placements. Indeed some clinicians report a worrying lack of knowledge of clinical supervision models giving cause for further concern about the nature of the clinical learning environment. Schools of nursing expect that clinical practica will provide opportunities for students to learn how to be a nurse through guided questioning, analysis and critical thinking. It is evident that in some settings, this represents an ideal situation and not the reality. Critical reflection on these issues has informed the purpose of this research and helped to shape the following questions that focus the conduct of the study: Research Question One How do experienced nurses create positive clinical learning environments for student nurses? Research Question Two How do experienced nurses resolve the often-contradictory demands of nursing students and those of the practice setting? Research Question Three How do changes in the healthcare environment impact on the [not complete].