A study on interaction techniques of nursing faculty in the clinical area

In order to better understand the nature of clinical teaching, 44 two-hour observations of instructors in clinical and field settings were conducted. The instructors were teaching clinical nursing courses from the sophomore through the senior level. The observers recorded the frequency of 16 techniques using a category system as well as data concerning the student-teacher ratio, type of class, and other information. The results show that one third of the interactions between student and faculty lasted one minute or less and one third lasted one to six minutes. Majority were initiated by the faculty member with a 1:1 ratio. Analysis of the types of techniques most frequently used across all courses were either leading/direct questions or information giving. Discussion and implication of the results of this study are discussed in light of the realities of clinical experiences for the baccalaureate nursing student; e.g., effects on problem-solving abilities of students; need to improve clinical teaching interaction skills; and curriculum change. This study describes the interaction techniques that nursing faculty used with students in clinical and field settings. Improving clinical teaching is currently a priority for nurse educators. Many people assume that they have a good idea of what transpires between faculty and students in clinical settings. Yet very little is actually documented on this topic. Before improvements can be made, we should have a more complete understanding of what is happening. This can best be accomplished by observing and documenting faculty interactions with students. Therefore, the need to obtain better information about faculty-student interactions in clinical and field settings was the impetus for this quantitative descriptive study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)