Clinical teaching by community nurses in the Australian context

A study was conducted to explore factors that impact on the clinical teaching role of community nurses involved in the education of pre-registration nursing students. Respondents were community nurses working in the Western Sydney Area Health Service in New South Wales, Australia. A self-report questionnaire was developed to collect data. Results indicate that community nurses are interested in clinical teaching, that it is an important part of their role and that they perceive themselves to be effective clinical teachers, with the majority indicating motivation to continue developing their clinical teaching skills. Aspects of clinical teaching important to community nurses included facilitating the transition of education from theory to practice, sharing expertise, knowledge and skills and maintaining high standards of nursing practice. There was little support for the view that community nurses experienced difficulty in managing the dual teaching and practice role. Approximately a third of participants reported that being with a student on a one-to-one basis could be stressful. Strategies to assist community nurses in their clinical teaching role were identified.