Developing an understanding of research-based nursing pedagogy among clinical instructors: A qualitative study

Background: Effective instruction is imperative to the learning process of clinical nursing instructors. Faculty members are required to provide high-quality teaching and training by using new ways of teaching pedagogical methods to clinical instructors, which have transformed pedagogies from an exclusive clinical model to a holistic model. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore clinical instructors' use of planning, implementation, feedback loops, and reflection frameworks to apply research-based teaching and to examine the pedagogy used during field experience. Method: Data for the qualitative study were obtained from twenty purposefully sampled clinical teachers (n = 20) via lists of questioned instructional practices and discussions, semi-structured interviews, observational notes, field notes, and written reflections. Data were analyzed by using a triangulation method to ensure trustworthiness, credibility, and reliability. Findings: Three main themes emerged regarding the use of research-based teaching strategies: the need for learning about research-based pedagogy, support mechanisms to implement innovative teaching strategies, and transitioning from nursing student to nursing clinical instructors. Conclusion: It has been well documented that the nursing profession faces a serious shortage of nursing faculty, impacting the quality of clinical teaching. Developing clinical instructor programs to give students opportunities to select instructor pathways, focusing on knowledge promoting critical thinking and life-long professional development, is essential. Nursing colleges must collaborate by using a partnership model to achieve competency in planning, implementation, feedback loops, and reflection. Applying research-based clinical teaching requires the development of programs that integrate low-fidelity simulation and assisted instruction through the use of computers in Nursing Colleges. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.