The challenges of clinical education in nursing: A qualitative analysis of nursing students and clinical instructors' perspectives

Context: Clinical education is an integral part of nursing education and also it is considered as the heart of professional education. Internship is a part of nursing education program which provides internship students with suitable opportunities to enhance their skills in applying the theoretical knowledge in the clinical placement. Aims: The objectives of this study were to (1) gain a deep understanding of the experiences and perspectives of nursing students and clinical instructors and (2) explain challenges of clinical education in nursing. Setting and Design: This study was a qualitative content analysis conducted in Qom University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: The study participants included 25 senior nursing students in 7th and 8th semesters and 8 nursing instructors. Purposive sampling was conducted until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Statistical Analysis Used: MAXQDA version 10 was used to store the interview data and codes and “qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach” was used to analyze the data. Results: Data analysis revealed two themes and nine categories which were as follows: “lack of effective clinical education facilitators” (demands for diverse clinical learning methods, setting professional values, and focus on autonomy-based education) and “barriers to effective clinical education” (experiential learning by working in the ward, factors undermining scientific learning, focus on routine-oriented work, ineffective educational planning, nurse mentors' superficial knowledge, and communication barriers). Conclusion: Clinical training as facilitators of learning in the clinical environment requires the participation of faculty, clinical instructors, students, and medical staff. Moreover, the paper has addressed the potential problems which are related to the nursing students, instructors, and clinical setting.