Date of Award

3-1984

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jeanne M. Donovan

Second Advisor

Diane Denney-Myers

Abstract

This descriptive study of effective clinical instruction surveyed students and faculty in six St. Louis area diploma nursing schools. While many studies have been done attempting to define and evaluate effective teaming, it has only been recently that researchers have begun to explore the effectiveness of clinical education. Clinical experience is that hands-on, practical experience one receives while in a professional education program such as nursing, medicine or dentistry. These studies show variation and conflicting results. or the studies found relating to the effectiveness of clinical practice, the majority occurred with students other than diploma nursing students. This researcher-a diploma educator herself-was concerned about the lack of information about diploma students. Thus this project was conceived. Using a twenty- item questionnaire, volunteer students and faculty rated effective behaviors in the clinical instructor . The subjects also rank-ordered their five most important behaviors. There was congruence between faculty and students' perceptions of the importance of many of the behaviors. Several differences did appear to be noteworthy, however. These differences were as follows: 1 . Faculty saw relationship behaviors as less important than did students . 2. Junior students were more concerned with the instructor's competence than were seniors. 3 . Both student groups felt the most important behavior on the instructor's part is confidence in and respect for the student. 4. Faculty felt that interest in patients and their care is the most important

behavior in an effective instructor. Recommendations suggested there be more awareness on the instructors' parts of how important the student- faculty relationship is to the student. There was also a suggestion for active plans to maintain the instructor's clinical skills/competence. It was also theorized that students saw themselves as the most important part of the educational process, while faculty appeared to hold the more traditional view that even in a learning situation, the patient cares first . This is a topic that nay require more research for validation.

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