Changes in nurse education: being a nurse teacher

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nursing education is evolving, necessitating an examination of the nurse teacher role.
• Nurse teachers are expected to balance clinical practice with educational responsibilities.
• Conflicting expectations from governing bodies create challenges for nurse educators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of nurse teachers regarding their dual roles.
• To identify the challenges faced by nurse educators in maintaining clinical practice.
• To understand the impact of institutional visions on the nurse teacher role.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 37 in-depth interviews with nurse teachers in a London Healthcare Faculty.
• Data collected between August 2003 and March 2004.
• Employed thematic content analysis as described by Miles and Huberman.

Main Results:

• Nurse teachers struggle to integrate teaching duties with ongoing nursing practice.
• Contradictory visions from the Government, NHS, Universities, and Nursing and Midwifery Council were identified.
• Increased time spent teaching correlates with a reduced likelihood of maintaining clinical nursing practice.

Conclusions:

• The integration of nursing practice and teaching presents significant challenges for nurse educators.
• The value of combining clinical practice with teaching requires further investigation.
• The current system may inadvertently discourage nurse teachers from maintaining essential clinical skills.