Clinical supervisors' perspectives on delivering work integrated learning: a survey study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Workplace Learning
• Clinical Supervision

Background:

• A disconnect exists between academic nursing programs and clinical learning environments.
• Nurse supervisors and practitioners report insufficient training to support student learning in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinical nurse supervisors' confidence in supporting student learning.
• To identify specific components of clinical supervision that require enhancement.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 60 clinical nurse supervisors, including registered nurses, nurse managers, and clinical nurse educators.
• The survey utilized Likert scales and free-text questions to gather data on confidence levels and perceived barriers.
• Simulation-based clinical reasoning workshops were part of the setting.

Main Results:

• Supervisors were confident in knowledge sharing and welcoming students but less so regarding the alignment of clinical learning with academic programs.
• Heavy workloads and role responsibilities were identified as barriers to effective clinical supervision.
• Participants expressed a need for tools to better connect clinical practice with academic curricula to support student learning and remediation.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists in supervisors' ability to support student learning, impacting work-integrated learning in nursing.
• Professional development is crucial to equip clinical supervisors with theoretical frameworks for guiding student learning.
• Addressing these deficits will enhance student learning and professional development in the workplace.