title: Understanding clinical nursing education: An exploratory study.
abstract: Clinical experiences are recognized as a critical aspect of nursing education, highlighting the importance of the perspectives of those providing clinical instruction. The aim of this mixed methods descriptive study was to discover the knowledge and guidance needs of preceptors and clinical faculty who provide clinical instruction to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Fifteen clinical faculty and 17 preceptors were surveyed using a questionnaire developed and piloted by the researchers. Although preceptors and clinical faculty reported a high level of knowledge and confidence in their ability to guide student nurses, they also identified the need for additional support for their teaching roles. Analysis of the qualitative data provided insights into what helped and what hindered clinical instruction, as well as what could enhance clinical instruction. The development, implementation, and evaluation of formal education and mentorship processes for preceptors and clinical faculty are recommended in order to meet these knowledge and guidance gaps. Further research is also needed to explore how to clinical instruction could be tailored to the capacity of those engaged in the experiences and to clinical environments.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Edmonton, 11405-87th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9, Canada. Electronic address: Sherry.Dahlke@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dahlke
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Human Services, Vancouver Island University, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5S5, Canada. Electronic address: Maureen.OConnor@viu.ca.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Human Services, Vancouver Island University, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5S5, Canada. Electronic address: Teresa.Hannesson@viu.ca.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hannesson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Human Services, Vancouver Island University, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5S5, Canada. Electronic address: karleen.cheetham@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Karleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheetham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011231:Preceptorship; D024382:Professional Role; D013192:Staff Development; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Clinical education; Clinical environments; Clinical faculty; Preceptors