Clinical supervisors' perspectives on delivering work integrated learning: a survey study

Abstract

Background: Previous research has indicated a disconnect between academic nursing programmes and workplace learning environments. Nurse supervisors and clinical practitioners have reported inadequate information and training on how to support students of nursing to learn in the clinical setting.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the level of confidence that clinical supervisors have in relation to specific components of supporting student learning in the work place.

Design: Survey of clinical nurse supervisors.

Setting: Simulation-based clinical reasoning workshops.

Participants: Sixty participants: fifty nine registered nurses, including nurse managers and clinical nurse educators, and one allied health professional.

Methods: Survey using Likert scales and free-text questions.

Results: The findings indicated that clinicians were confident in sharing their knowledge and experience with students and making them feel welcome in the work place, they were less confident about what were the significant learnings in relation to students' academic programme. Registered nurses supervising students were experienced clinicians with many role responsibilities, which were perceived as barriers to the role of clinical supervisor. Participants reported that they would like tools to assist them with developing links to the academic programme. They considered that these tools would support student learning and remediation in the work place.

Conclusions: This study found that the abilities of supervisors to support student learning is an identified gap impacting on work integrated learning. The results indicated the need for a professional development workshop, to enable clinical supervisors to move beyond promoting a supervision model, towards a theoretical framework for assisting and guiding students to learn. Addressing this deficit will improve growth and change in student learning in the work place.

Keywords: Barriers to effective supervision; Clinical supervision; Professional development; Simulation; Student learning.