A naturalistic inquiry of obstetrical staff nurses experiences of clinical learning

A Naturalistic Inquiry approach was used to explore experiences of obstetrical staff nurses working with undergraduate nursing students during students' unstructured clinical learning experience. The clinical learning experience is acknowledged as central to nursing education and preparation for professional practice. Several models of clinical learning used rely on staff nurses for clinical teaching Nurses working in the clinical workplace exert great influence on student's learning. In this qualitative study, a purposeful sample of 12 staff nurses participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews to share their unstructured experiences when nursing students are present on the unit for clinical learning. The constant comparative method was used to inductively analyze data. Six themes emerged: Giving and Receiving; Advancing Professionally and Personally; Balancing Act; Getting to Know and Working with You; Past and Present; and Gender (may) Matter. Findings from this NI revealed the CLE is a patient/work-centered process primarily involving a nurse/student dyad that takes place in a clinical workplace environment to facilitate accomplishment of academic objectives. Study findings implicate the need for nurse educators to ensure students are prepared for clinical clinical learning, for collaboration and increased communication between academia and clinical agencies, reduced or altered workload for nurses when working with students and exploration of ways to compensate and recognize nurses for working with students. There is need for nursing research aimed at increasing knowledge about nurses who do not enjoy working with students.