Perceptions Of Registered Nurses Regarding Their Role Of Clinical Teaching Of Student Nurses At State Training Hospitals In Windhoek, Namibia

ABSTRACT

Clinical teaching is an important component of nurses training in Namibia. The study therefore, emphasized the important role registered nurses can play to ensure effectively clinical teaching of student nurses. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of Registered nurses regarding their role in the clinical teaching of student nurses at training hospitals in Windhoek. The objective of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of registered nurses regarding their role in the clinical teaching of student nurses at state training hospitals in Windhoek. A qualitative research design was adopted in the study and a total number of ten (10) registered nurses from the two training hospitals were interviewed. An interview guide, an audio recorder and field notes were used as the data collection instruments. The researcher used the face-to-face interview technique of collecting data, while using convenience, purposive sampling and survey approach. Key themes which emerged from the study were: Registered Nurses perceptions regarding their clinical teaching role, Registered Nurses perceptions regarding the availability of resources and Registered Nurses perceptions of the clinical teaching environment. The study revealed that clinical teaching of student nurses at training hospitals is negatively affected by many factors, such as lack of human resources, lack of materials and equipment, workload, staff shortages as well as personal attitudes of both registered nurses and students. The study recommends an increased in the number of Enrolled vi Nurses to be trained to compliment the number of nursing personnel. This in turn will increase and alleviate nursing personnel shortages, thus decrease the workload. Nursing schools need to increase the number of clinical instructors to compliment the efforts of registered nurses in the clinical environment. The MOHSS should ensure that training hospitals are equipped with adequate training equipment and materials.