Qualitative research on the power dynamics in the teacher-student relationship in clinical practice

Objective To explore nurse students' perceptions of the power dynamics in the teacher-student relationship during their clinical practice. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 15 nurse students using phenomenological methodology. Data were analyzed by Colaizzi′s sphenomenological procedure. Results Three core themes that emerged from the qualitative data: meanings of power; the desired power dynamics; enhancing the clinical learning experience. Conclusions The dominant theme in the participants' discourse is that teachers should possess more power than students in order to prevent students from causing harm to patients. The consensus is that the teacher's power in supervising students' clinical practice is necessary for the benefit of patient safety. Key words: Nurses; Power; Teacher-student relationship; Qualitative research