Nurse
EducationTo&y (1992) I%340449
@ZjLongman GroupUK Ltd1992
The role of the nurse teacher Collette Clifford
I
I This paper reports on selected findings of a small exploratory study of the role of the nurse teacher. A questionnaire was circulated to teaching staff in one college of nursing. Quantitative data collected included a range of biographical detail, an outline of career patterns, professional qualifications and specific preparation undertaken for the teaching role. Qualitative data gathered in the study was transcribed and categorised into themes. The areas that are reported here include the identification of the factors that influenced decisions to work in nurse education, educator’s views on preparation for the teaching role and areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in their work. Issues related to classroom teaching role, clinical teaching role, management and research are discussed.
I
4
of nurse education
INTRODUCTION This paper reports
1991; Chandler
on the preliminary
of a small exploratory nurse
teacher,
study into the role of the
focusing
from the first cohort
findings
on selective
of respondents
findings in a larger
scale study. The issues raised here are important in contributing of nurse
teacher
researched research
to the understanding
with articles
complexity 1991; Jones
which, only from
at present, a the
limited UK
Sheahan
is not well number
exploring
of the role (Buttigieg 1985;
of the role of the
1990; Jeffree
1981;
Stephenson
1984). A number of recent commentaries have sought to analyse the role of the nurse teacher in general and some of the potential role in the light of planned
conflicts of the
changes
in patterns
Collette Clifford MSc DANS DipN(Lond) RGN Lecturer in Nursing Studies, University of Birmingham and Head of Research and Development, Queen Elizabeth College of Nursing and Health Studies, Edgbaston, Birmingham 817 9OU, UK (Requests for offprints to CC) Manuscript accepted 3 April 1992
340
(see for example:
1991, Shuldham
Birchenall
1988). Several
reports have focused on clinical teachers, ing
the
role
teachers theory
conflict
attempting and
From
to bridge
practice
1989; Robertson
teacher,
but
again
articles
far
exceeds
Although
1979;
the
Martin
1984).
and Canada
exploring
explor-
by clinical
the gap between
(Kirkwood
1987; Wright
the USA
more literature
experienced
there
is rather
the role of the nurse number
the
of comment
researched
work.
some of the trends to emerge from this
literature can be usefully applied to the role of nurse teachers in the UK the very different educational preparing
background teachers
direct comparisons
for
and differing their
role
means of does
make
with the UK difficult.
Some
of the relevant literature that can be applied across cultures is concerned with workload (O’Shea 19861, clinical teaching roles (Infante 1986;
Karjaji
1986;
Wong
8c Wong
198 1) and
effectiveness in teaching (Barham 1965; Jacobson 1966; Kiker 1973; Knox & Mogan 1985; Stafford
8c Craves
1978).
NURSE EDUCATlOh’
THE STUDY The purpose
of this project
was to:
and 1. Develop a profile of the biographical characteristics of nurse professional teachers. the factors that influenced the 2. Identify decision for nurses to work in nurse education. 3. Explore nurse teachers’ views of preparation for their role. 4. Identify the causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction to nurse teachers in their role. 5. Gather data to provide a base line for further study into the nurse teacher’s role in teaching, clinical practice, administration/management and research. In the context of this paper a nurse teacher is seen as a practitioner who is working in a full time post in nurse education. The study reported here involves several ‘categories’ of teacher in terms of preparation for the role, this interpretation is important but by no means a final definition.
I‘ODA’I
341
undertaken by five nurse teachers representative of the study population. Following this, several modifications were made to facilitate ease of completion of the questionnaire in the main study. The sample selected represented all grades of teaching staff employed in one college, including qualified and unqualified nurse teachers. Some qualified nurse teachers were excluded from the sample as their roles at the time of the study were managerial, carrying no direct responsibility for teaching practice. The five teachers who had participated in the pre-test were also excluded from the main study. The questionnaire was circulated via the postal system to 66 nurse teachers in one college of nursing in May 199 1. An explanatory letter and pre-addressed envelopes for return of completed questionnaires were enclosed. Data collection ceased after 8 weeks. The majority of the responses had been received spontaneously. A verbal reminder was given to the members of the sample group after 6 weeks of data collection. In total 40 questionnaires were completed and returned giving a response rate of 60.67%
FINDINGS METHOD In designing this study it was recognised that interviews would have provided a rich source of data from which to examine the issues identified above. However, as a lack of research into the teachers role was identified it was decided that a questionnaire would yield a more comprehensive range of data on which to build further enquiry. Interviews will be utilised in the next stage of the research to explore in greater depth the issues raised by the first cohort of respondents. A self administered questionnaire was designed utilising both quantitative and qualitative means of data collection. The areas that were addressed in the questionnaire were identified as a result of personal experience, discussion with colleagues, and previous studies into role of nurse teacher (Clark 1989; Sheahan 1981). A pre-test of the first draft of the questionnaire was
The results reported here represent the total group of respondents and, in most categories, do not include a differential analysis of perceptions between teacher grades, levels of preparation for that role or specialist areas of practice. The one exception relates to teachers’ views of their preparation for their role as Registered Nurse Teachers as some issues specific to courses completed by this group are discussed. Quantitative data were used in developing a profile of the biographical and professional characteristics of nurse teachers. These are summarised in Table 1. which shows the age range of the respondent group, the number in each educational grade and the length of time spent by respondents working in clinical practice and in nurse education. Almost half the sample had worked in clinical practice for more than 10 years. Prior to changing career direction, 31 respondents had worked at Sister/Charge Nurse
342
NURSE EDUCATION
Table 1 Biographical Male
TODAY
Of the 28 members of staff who had undertaken a Certificate in Education or Sister Tutor Diploma (STD), 21 had worked in a school of nursing before undertaking the course. Four respondents had completed their teacher preparation courses in the 197Os, 14 in the period up to 1988 and the remaining 9 had completed these courses since 1988. When asked if their teaching course had prepared them for their role in nurse education only 8 of the 28 respondents who had undertaken the Certificate in Education, or equivalent course, (STD, PGCE), stated the course prepared them for their role in nurse education. The key themes to
details
8
Female
32
Grade
Clinical Grade G 2 (seconded) Educational Grade 1 2 2: 3 1 4 5
Age
EducationTo&y (1992) I%340449
@ZjLongman GroupUK Ltd1992
The role of the nurse teacher Collette Clifford
I
I This paper reports on selected findings of a small exploratory study of the role of the nurse teacher. A questionnaire was circulated to teaching staff in one college of nursing. Quantitative data collected included a range of biographical detail, an outline of career patterns, professional qualifications and specific preparation undertaken for the teaching role. Qualitative data gathered in the study was transcribed and categorised into themes. The areas that are reported here include the identification of the factors that influenced decisions to work in nurse education, educator’s views on preparation for the teaching role and areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in their work. Issues related to classroom teaching role, clinical teaching role, management and research are discussed.
I
4
of nurse education
INTRODUCTION This paper reports
1991; Chandler
on the preliminary
of a small exploratory nurse
teacher,
study into the role of the
focusing
from the first cohort
findings
on selective
of respondents
findings in a larger
scale study. The issues raised here are important in contributing of nurse
teacher
researched research
to the understanding
with articles
complexity 1991; Jones
which, only from
at present, a the
limited UK
Sheahan
is not well number
exploring
of the role (Buttigieg 1985;
of the role of the
1990; Jeffree
1981;
Stephenson
1984). A number of recent commentaries have sought to analyse the role of the nurse teacher in general and some of the potential role in the light of planned
conflicts of the
changes
in patterns
Collette Clifford MSc DANS DipN(Lond) RGN Lecturer in Nursing Studies, University of Birmingham and Head of Research and Development, Queen Elizabeth College of Nursing and Health Studies, Edgbaston, Birmingham 817 9OU, UK (Requests for offprints to CC) Manuscript accepted 3 April 1992
340
(see for example:
1991, Shuldham
Birchenall
1988). Several
reports have focused on clinical teachers, ing
the
role
teachers theory
conflict
attempting and
From
to bridge
practice
1989; Robertson
teacher,
but
again
articles
far
exceeds
Although
1979;
the
Martin
1984).
and Canada
exploring
explor-
by clinical
the gap between
(Kirkwood
1987; Wright
the USA
more literature
experienced
there
is rather
the role of the nurse number
the
of comment
researched
work.
some of the trends to emerge from this
literature can be usefully applied to the role of nurse teachers in the UK the very different educational preparing
background teachers
direct comparisons
for
and differing their
role
means of does
make
with the UK difficult.
Some
of the relevant literature that can be applied across cultures is concerned with workload (O’Shea 19861, clinical teaching roles (Infante 1986;
Karjaji
1986;
Wong
8c Wong
198 1) and
effectiveness in teaching (Barham 1965; Jacobson 1966; Kiker 1973; Knox & Mogan 1985; Stafford
8c Craves
1978).
NURSE EDUCATlOh’
THE STUDY The purpose
of this project
was to:
and 1. Develop a profile of the biographical characteristics of nurse professional teachers. the factors that influenced the 2. Identify decision for nurses to work in nurse education. 3. Explore nurse teachers’ views of preparation for their role. 4. Identify the causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction to nurse teachers in their role. 5. Gather data to provide a base line for further study into the nurse teacher’s role in teaching, clinical practice, administration/management and research. In the context of this paper a nurse teacher is seen as a practitioner who is working in a full time post in nurse education. The study reported here involves several ‘categories’ of teacher in terms of preparation for the role, this interpretation is important but by no means a final definition.
I‘ODA’I
341
undertaken by five nurse teachers representative of the study population. Following this, several modifications were made to facilitate ease of completion of the questionnaire in the main study. The sample selected represented all grades of teaching staff employed in one college, including qualified and unqualified nurse teachers. Some qualified nurse teachers were excluded from the sample as their roles at the time of the study were managerial, carrying no direct responsibility for teaching practice. The five teachers who had participated in the pre-test were also excluded from the main study. The questionnaire was circulated via the postal system to 66 nurse teachers in one college of nursing in May 199 1. An explanatory letter and pre-addressed envelopes for return of completed questionnaires were enclosed. Data collection ceased after 8 weeks. The majority of the responses had been received spontaneously. A verbal reminder was given to the members of the sample group after 6 weeks of data collection. In total 40 questionnaires were completed and returned giving a response rate of 60.67%
FINDINGS METHOD In designing this study it was recognised that interviews would have provided a rich source of data from which to examine the issues identified above. However, as a lack of research into the teachers role was identified it was decided that a questionnaire would yield a more comprehensive range of data on which to build further enquiry. Interviews will be utilised in the next stage of the research to explore in greater depth the issues raised by the first cohort of respondents. A self administered questionnaire was designed utilising both quantitative and qualitative means of data collection. The areas that were addressed in the questionnaire were identified as a result of personal experience, discussion with colleagues, and previous studies into role of nurse teacher (Clark 1989; Sheahan 1981). A pre-test of the first draft of the questionnaire was
The results reported here represent the total group of respondents and, in most categories, do not include a differential analysis of perceptions between teacher grades, levels of preparation for that role or specialist areas of practice. The one exception relates to teachers’ views of their preparation for their role as Registered Nurse Teachers as some issues specific to courses completed by this group are discussed. Quantitative data were used in developing a profile of the biographical and professional characteristics of nurse teachers. These are summarised in Table 1. which shows the age range of the respondent group, the number in each educational grade and the length of time spent by respondents working in clinical practice and in nurse education. Almost half the sample had worked in clinical practice for more than 10 years. Prior to changing career direction, 31 respondents had worked at Sister/Charge Nurse
342
NURSE EDUCATION
Table 1 Biographical Male
TODAY
Of the 28 members of staff who had undertaken a Certificate in Education or Sister Tutor Diploma (STD), 21 had worked in a school of nursing before undertaking the course. Four respondents had completed their teacher preparation courses in the 197Os, 14 in the period up to 1988 and the remaining 9 had completed these courses since 1988. When asked if their teaching course had prepared them for their role in nurse education only 8 of the 28 respondents who had undertaken the Certificate in Education, or equivalent course, (STD, PGCE), stated the course prepared them for their role in nurse education. The key themes to
details
8
Female
32
Grade
Clinical Grade G 2 (seconded) Educational Grade 1 2 2: 3 1 4 5
Age
