The role of the lecturer practitioner: An exploration of the stakeholders and practitioners perspective

Joint appointment roles are pivotal in forging links between service and education and whilst current government and professional strategies recognise the contribution of such roles [DOH, 2001. Working Together - Learning Together: A Framework for Lifelong Learning for the NHS, Department of Health, London], there is still concern about the ambiguity of these roles, specifically the role of the lecturer practitioner [Fairbrother, P., Ford, S. 1998. Lecturer practitioners: a literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 27, 274-279]. This paper provides insight in to the experience of being a lecturer practitioner from the perspectives of two lecturer practitioners and from the perspectives of stakeholders from education and practice who had a vested interest in the employment of this role within their organisation. Each lecturer practitioner kept a diary and met on a monthly basis for one hour over a six month period to critically reflect on the experience of being a lecturer practitioner. The significant areas identified in the diaries were then used to develop the schedule for a series of semi-structured interviews with seven stakeholders drawn from clinical practice and higher education environments. The data collected were analysed using [Bernard, P., 1991. A method of analysing interview transcripts in qualitative research. Nurse Education Today 11, 461-466] framework. In total, five themes emerged. Whilst findings highlighted great job satisfaction, they also illustrated the lack of collaboration between organisations especially in terms of the initial development of the role. It is suggested that the initial lack of clarity is a contributory factor causing continuing role ambiguity. A series of recommendations based on the findings have been discussed, some of which are currently being implemented.