Article Sidebar
Published:
Nov 9, 2016Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the AJHPE is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The AJHPE does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors. The corresponding author should also indicate if the research forms part of a postgraduate short report, dissertation or thesis.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.Main Article Content
Professional nurses’ perception of their clinical teaching role at a rural hospital in Lesotho
Abstract
Background. Nursing education institutions in Lesotho face an increasing number of enrolments owing to a high demand for professional nurses to work in the community. Enrolments have doubled during the last 3 years, without an increase in teaching resources or staff. Professional nurses in the wards are expected to mentor students and teach the clinical elements of nursing while continuing with their day-to-day clinical duties. Furthermore, professional nurses in Lesotho have not been trained for this clinical teaching role.
Objective. To explore the perceptions of professional nurses with regard to their clinical teaching role in the development of competent nurses.
Methods. A qualitative study was undertaken at a rural hospital in Lesotho. Data were gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews with professional
nurses. Interview transcripts were coded and emerging themes identified. Data saturation was reached after eight interview transcripts were analysed.
Results. Four themes representing the perceptions of the professional nurses emerged in the analysis: (i) the clinical teaching role; (ii) the complexities of clinical teaching; (iii) learners have their issues; and (iv) making it work.
Conclusion. Professional nurses understand and appreciate their educational
role in the development of competent nurses. This clinical teaching role is performed in difficult circumstances, including administrative challenges, limited resources and staff shortages, while maintaining clinical responsibilities. Despite these challenges, the nurses have remained resilient and solution focused. Nursing education institutions should re-orientate professional nurses with regard to current trends and principles of nursing education to enhance their clinical teaching role.
