Impediments to bed-side teaching

Bed-side teaching is the process of active learning in the presence of a patient. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a teaching hospital to obtain the opinions of clinical teachers about bed-side teaching including perceived hindrances to its implementation. Of 152 teachers, 78% responded to the questionnaire. Ninety-five per cent reported that bed-side teaching is an effective way to teach professional skills. Time constraints, noisy wards and patients not being available were reported as the most frequently experienced hindrances to bed-side teaching. The survey found strong support for bed-side teaching but a substantial number of barriers to its implementation. Further research is required to study methods that will improve bed-site teaching.