Explaining the Status of Clinical Nursing Education: A Qualitative Research in Iran

Abstract

Background: Challenges and problems of clinical nursing education are the most important factor in determining the quality of nursing students' education. Frequent assessment of the quality of nursing education without considering the existing challenges is an ineffective activity in analyzing the situation of nursing education. Objectives: This study aimed to explain the status of clinical nursing education at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Methods: This qualitative study based on the conventional content analysis approach was conducted at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences in 2018 - 2019. Data were collected through holding 10 semi-structured face-to-face focus group discussions (FGDs) with 110 nurses, head nurses, instructors, and students. Purposeful sampling was used and the interviews were analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman method by MAXQDA Software. Results: We obtained 626 in-vivo codes, 46 primary codes, eight subcategories (lack of attention to the evaluation process, non-participative evaluation, low staff educational cooperation, ineffective instructors, non-educational clinical space, student educational deficits, students' confusion in the clinical setting, and non-participatory planning), and three main categories (planning challenges, implementing challenges, and evaluation challenges). Conclusions: Educational leaders are recommended to shift to three areas, including democratic planning, wise implementation with frequent monitoring, and the use of modern clinical evaluation methods based on the participation of learners and other stakeholders.