Educational preparation for clinical teaching: perceptions of the nurse educator

Clinical teaching in nursing has been found to be as problematic as it is in other practice-oriented professions. Numerous studies have identified and classified both effective and ineffective clinical teaching behaviors. Absent from the literature are investigations seeking the perceptions of the teachers regarding the adequacy of their preparation for the task and the possible reason(s) for ineffective performance. During the 1983 NLN convention and an ADN workshop, 211 nurse educators responded to a questionnaire soliciting their perception about the adequacy of their graduate program in preparing them for clinical teaching responsibilities. In addition, recommendations were sought on content necessary to effective performance. The study data reveal some startling findings and raise serious questions about the priority graduate programs assign to the content desired by survey participants as necessary for effective clinical teaching. Specific recommendations to address the problem are presented.