Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
questions. It demonstrates that overall the clinical environment can
in many ways enhance as well as be a barrier to students’ learning.
The number of statements from the participants expressing
inhibition exceeds those indicating facilitation. This shows that the
environment was more unsupportive than supportive. This was
more evident in the first six months of the course when the
participants were trying to adapt to the routine. A number of
authors (Gray and Smith 1999, Brown et al 1998) argued that
coping with clinical practice can be anxiety provoking and stressful.
Worker status
The participants of this study reported that they were seen as
qualified nurses and consequently as part of the workforce rather
than learners. In general this theme indicates that the participants
were only given recognition as students while in the classroom
which impacted on the learning opportunities available to them in
the clinical area. In addition, the participants felt that being a
registered nurse prior to commencing the midwifery programme
was a disadvantage to them given that they were regarded as part
of the workforce and much expected of them. This worker status
was part of the findings of other Irish (Begley 1999a, Lloyd 2001)
and UK (Bewley 1995, Chamberlain 1997) studies of student
midwives.
Support strategies
This theme describes the participants’ views regarding the type of
support that should be available to them in the clinical area and
who is in the best position to fulfil this role. They used the terms
mentor, preceptor, clinical placement coordinator and clinical
placement facilitator synonymously to describe the staff that
perform or should be responsible for providing learning support for
students in the clinical area. The need for or the role of the support
person varies among participants. On the whole the participants
prefer to work alongside a named preceptor or mentor. Only in this
way will they obtain accurate or objective assessment of their
performance in any given clinical area. There was also recognition
by the participants that support for learning in the clinical area
could be better provided by people who are more aware of the
students’ needs. It suggests that the support persons should be
clearly identified and should have frequent contact with students.
This mirrors the findings of the studies of student nurses (Wilson-
Barnett et al 1995, Dunn and Hansford 1997, Neary 2000, Jackson
et al 2001).
Ways of learning
This theme explains the different methods through which the
participants obtain information and acquire skills while on the
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