Teaching is a demanding and complex task. This guide looks at teaching and what it involves. Implicit in the widely accepted and far-reaching changes in medical education is a changing role for the medical teacher. Twelve roles have been identified and these can be grouped in six areas in the model presented: (1) the information provider in the lecture, and in the clinical context; (2) the role model on-the-job, and in more formal teaching settings; (3) the facilitator as a mentor and learning facilitator; (4) the student assessor and curriculum evaluator; (5) the curriculum and course planner; and (6) the resource material creator, and study guide producer. As presented in the model, some roles require more medical expertise and others more educational expertise. Some roles have more direct face-to-face contact with students and others less. The roles are presented in a 'competing values' framework-they may convey conflicting messages, e.g. providing information or encouraging independent learning, helpi...

AMEE Guide No 20: The good teacher is more than a lecturer - the twelve roles of the teacher

The increasingly complex requirements of today's nursing practitioners, have been accompanied by demands on nurse educators to look at new ways to facilitate learning in the clinical area (Camiah 1996). In recent years nursing education has undergone a period of major change in many countries through integrating with universities. While nurse educators are striving to respond to changes in education the dichotomy between the theoretical input taught in the classroom and what is practised or experienced on the wards remains a problem (Ashworth & Longmate 1993, Ferguson & Jinks 1994). Dale (1994) postulates that theory provides the basis for understanding the reality of nursing, it would seem reasonable, therefore, to assume that the content studied in the classroom correlates with what the student experiences on the ward. It should also follow that if a gap exists between theory and practice, efforts should be taken for its reduction (Rafferty et al. 1996). According to MacNeil (1997) many initiatives have been introduced in an effort to bridge the theory-practice gap and these have focused around the role of the nurse teacher. These changes in education are redefining the role of the nurse teacher, therefore, the part that they currently play and will play in the future needs to be carefully considered (Phillips et al. 1996b). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the theory-practice divide in nursing. First, some of the reasons cited for its existence will be explored. Second, suggested ways of bridging the divide will be considered focusing on the role of the nurse teacher.

The theory–practice gap in nursing: the role of the nurse teacher

This paper presents a new theory of professional socialization in relation to diploma of higher education in nursing students (Project 2000). It was derived from a 3-year, grounded theory, longitudinal study exploring the effects of supernumerary status and mentorship on students undertaking practice placements. A purposive sample of 17 students was used. Ten students volunteered to be interviewed on five separate occasions throughout their course and to keep a diary to record their experiences of mentorship during their practice placements. Their diary acted as an aide memoir during their tape-recorded interviews. The other seven students participated by diary only and kept written accounts of their experiences of being supernumerary and having a mentor whilst on practice placements. Data were analysed with the aid of NUD.IST and subjected to the constant comparative method of analysis. Findings indicate that the mentor is the linchpin of the students' experience and that some students develop intuition much earlier than previous work has stated.

The professional socialization of diploma of higher education in nursing students (Project 2000): a longitudinal qualitative study.

A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual study was conducted to explore student nurses' experiences during clinical practice at a nursing college in the Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was used and phenomenological interviews were held with eleven (11) student nurses who were in their final year of the four year basic nursing programme. The interviews were analysed by using Tesch's method of data analysis for qualitative research. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were outlined.

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Student nurses' experiences during clinical practice in the Limpopo Province BT Mabuda, MA Health Studies

Jordanian undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of effective clinical teachers.

1 Clinical teaching.- 2 Foundations of clinical teaching and learning.- 3 Learning in the laboratory.- 4 The briefing: preparing students for clinical practice.- 5 Learning through clinical practice.- 6 Debriefing: reflecting on practice.- 7 From student to nurse.

Clinical Teaching in Nursing

Trends in nurse education - towards the 21st century. Deciding what to teach. Helping students learn. Managing the learning session. Fostering clinical learning. Teaching and learning in the workplace. Learning about values, human rights and ethics. Assessing learning. Evaluating teaching.

Teaching Nursing: A Self-Instructional Handbook

Chapters 1 and 2 raised some of the important issues facing clinical teachers in nursing and explored the theoretical foundations upon which clinical learning and teaching may be based. Each of the following chapters draws on that material and relates it to the practice of clinical teaching. Using a self-instructional style a number of activities are suggested to enable you to draw on your own teaching practice as the basis for analysis and consideration of alternative approaches. Although the feedback which follows the activities can be read as a text in the usual way there are advantages in applying the practical examples provided to your own experience. The questions and activities may trigger ideas for your own teaching which may go unrecognized if the text is read without a gentle nudge from time to time.

Learning in the laboratory

Effective clinical learning is a major objective in preparing professional nurses for the health care services. In the past, the constraints of hospital based schools and the demands of service on students’ learning time have prevented a full realization of those aims.

Foundations of clinical teaching and learning

There is an assumption in the clinical learning cycle (Figure 5.1) that the clinical teacher and students proceed together from the briefing session into the clinical or community setting. In many programmes that is certainly the case. In other programmes the reality is very different. Several constraints operate: programme constraints, where the curriculum structure separates the theoretical component from the clinical component so that few classroom teachers are also clinical teachers; economic constraints and limited funding for the clinical teaching programme; logistic constraints due to increasing numbers of students and pressure on student to teacher ratios. These have all contributed to the re-consideration of the process of clinical teaching. Some programmes have sought solutions in the addition of clinical teachers whose responsibilities are for teaching only in the clinical/community setting itself. Other programmes have implemented mentor or preceptorship systems, involving clinical staff in student teaching.

Ruth White

Papers

Clinical Teaching in Nursing

Teaching Nursing: A Self-Instructional Handbook

Learning in the laboratory

Foundations of clinical teaching and learning

Learning through clinical practice