Nurse teachers' feelings about participating in clinical practice: an exploratory study

The aim of this small study was to explore nurse teachers' feelings about participating in clinical practice. An exploratory design was used entailing focused interviews with 10 nurse teachers which explored their current participation in clinical practice and their feelings about this. Other areas addressed were the perceived benefits and negative effects of participating in practice, as well as the factors which may inhibit or enable teachers participating in practice. It was found that while half the teachers had some participation in practice, only one participated on a regular basis. The teachers were generally dissatisfied with their current level of clinical practice. The teachers identified a number of potential benefits of practising, including keeping in touch with clinical practice, maintenance of clinical skills, improved relationships with trained staff and the opportunity to use knowledge and skills in practice. Perceived negative effects were that their clinical participation may be misinterpreted, or may impinge on other aspects of the role. Some also felt that the limited time which they would have available, would lead to their clinical practice being ineffective. The two major factors which affected whether nurse teachers were able to participate in practice were time and the college philosophy/culture. Other important factors were support from clinical staff, clinical confidence, and the teacher's role perception and attitude towards practice. As recent publications have inferred the need for nurse teachers to remain involved in clinical practice, teachers need to identify how clinical practice may best be achieved, and clarify their aims for practising. Different models of practice may be appropriate for individual teachers. It seems that a supportive environment and a college culture which values nurse teachers practising would be beneficial if clinical practice is to become part of the teacher's role.