title: In touch to teach: Do nurse educators need to maintain or possess recent clinical practice to facilitate student learning?
abstract: In recent years UK university-based nurse educators have seen a reduction in their responsibilities for nursing students' practice-based assessments. Many university-based nurse educators feel that this lack of input into students' clinical assessments leaves them open to criticism as they are perceived to be less "in-touch" with clinical practice and that their knowledge to teach nursing students is diminished as a result. This paper examines and debates some interpretations of the term "recent clinical practice" and challenges the misconception among many in the profession, as well as government and professional bodies, that university-based nurse educators require recent clinical practice to effectively teach students and enhance the student learning experience in the academic university setting.
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: l.leonard@qub.ac.uk.
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Leonard
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: k.mccutcheon@qub.ac.uk.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: McCutcheon
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, The Queen's University of Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: k.rogers@qub.ac.uk.
authors: Katherine M A
authors: KM
authors: Rogers
mesh_terms: D004506:Education, Nursing; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D009736:Nursing Process; D013338:Students, Nursing; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Academic credibility; Clinical credibility; Effective university teaching; Recent clinical practice; University-based nurse educators