| Summary: | Clinical education is the cornerstone of nursing curricula and comprises almost half of many current nursing curricula. It is through this practice that students learn to apply their theoretical knowledge to practice and socialize into the nursing profession. The clinical teacher is pivotal in this process. The current nursing profession is challenged with a decreasing supply of competent clinical teachers due to an aging nursing workforce, and economic barriers which impacts the quality of nursing education. To meet this increasing demand for competent clinical teachers, members of academic institutions are resorting to hiring expert nurses who are mostly novice teachers. These novice clinical teachers are in need of support during their transition from practice to teaching. An assessment of the evidence-based scholarly literature was conducted to identify the teaching needs and strategies to support this unique group of expert nurses transitioning as novices into teaching practice.
By means of a rapid evidence assessment (REA) method and a reflective framework, 29 research studies were reviewed. A comprehensive view of what is described in the evidence-based literature as the needs for novice clinical teachers’ teaching practice as well as current recommendations of best practices to support and prepare novice clinical teachers are presented.
Teaching needs for novice clinical teachers identified in the REA are socialization into the culture of teaching, professional development, and the need to self-reflect and be self-confident. Supportive strategies that are highlighted include working in familiar environments, having prior exposure to students, participating in a comprehensive orientation process using principles of adult learning theory, building relationships and creating a new identity. The main recommendations to support novice clinical teachers’ needs include strategies to enhance socialization into the teaching role, the development of a comprehensive orientation process, ongoing professional development sessions, mentorship programs, and self-reflective strategies.
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