Are nurses recognised, prepared and supported to teach nursing students: Mixed methods study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Supervision
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Registered nurses are essential for teaching and supervising undergraduate nursing students.
• Nurses face unique challenges in facilitating student learning in practice environments.
• Ensuring quality, safe patient care relies on effective clinical teaching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurses' perceptions of recognition, preparation, and support for teaching undergraduate nursing students.
• To identify challenges faced by nurses in clinical teaching and supervision roles.

Main Methods:

• A sequential mixed-methods approach was used, involving questionnaires and focus groups with 59 nurses across 12 hospital wards.
• Data were collected from hard-copy questionnaires and six focus groups.
• Findings were verified through four feedback sessions.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported low recognition and insufficient time allocated for teaching and supervision.
• Key themes included nurses recognizing their teaching role but lacking system-level acknowledgment.
• Nurses desired better preparation and more support, particularly from the education sector, citing a disconnected student placement system.

Conclusions:

• The increasing number of nursing students and a fragmented placement system necessitate a re-evaluation of traditional clinical placement models.
• Addressing the identified challenges is vital for protecting patients, nurses, and the nursing profession.
• Rethinking mentorship models is essential for effective clinical education.