TRATAMIENTO DEL TERCIO SUPERIOR

Participants expected the professional nurses to have the willingness and spend time with students to support teaching and learning in the clinical environment. But, according to the participants, professional nurses verbalised that teaching was the responsibility of the educators. This attitude of the professional nurses limited learning opportunities for students.

“What I have seen a lot is that we are allocated by the college to the clinical areas to learn, but 90% of our time we spend a lot of time not learning. We are really working ... I think sometime I do blame the sisters because some of them - they do not know how to teach, they do not have those kinds of skills - not teaching students, because they were once students and at the end of the day they never did education or something like that.” (G10)

According to the study of Dahlke, O’Connor, Hannesson and Cheetham (2016:147- 148), it was identified that the workload of registered nurses had a negative impact on the provision of good learning experiences for students. Students were ignored and the registered nurses became impatient with students nurses’ questions and learning needs.

Participating students reported that in clinical environments where professional nurses honoured their responsibility and taught students, the students were able to attain their learning outcomes, but some professional nurses just taught them the basics so that the work could get done punctually in the wards. Participants indicated that students became frustrated because they felt neglected and misused. In certain CLEs the students gained a lot of knowledge in a short period of time; however, in other clinical environments students could be placed for lengthy periods but did not gain any new knowledge.

“But they only teach you the key so that you continue with the processes of the ward. So that if seven o’clock comes, everything is done. You did not gain anything in terms of your training. The only thing that you get is that in class.” (G6)

“I’ll say in some wards you learn a lot – say, maybe you are placed there for a week or five days. And then you learn a lot, but then in another ward, you are placed for four to five weeks … but you will go out of that ward not knowing a thing, because some wards are not interested in students. Some sisters, they are really not interested in students, some sisters are not interested to giving information to the students.” (G3)

“It also depends on the duration that you are placed in the certain area. Because if you are placed in this it is not enough to that, that person needs to know you and once they know you in that clinical area. Like me working in the clinical placement clinical primary healthcare. The longer I stayed, the more the nursing staff liked me. And then this time you get to learn how to do it. So I think it depends on you.” (G7)

Moonaghi et al (2015:3-4) found that when students were placed in the clinical departments the professional nurses were not supportive and did not accompany students, neither did they share valuable experiences in the clinical environment. Nursing personnel have a unique role in providing an educational atmosphere in the CLE; therefore the professional nurses and student relationships were reported as important to contribute to student experiences and socialisation in nursing. Students’ motivation and capacity to learn depended to the experiences of belongingness and support in the clinical environment that affected students’ self-concept and confidence.

Participants viewed that it was the responsibility of professional nurses to teach and supervise students. It was verbalised that professional nurses are envious of students and therefore they would not take responsibility to teach students. Participants felt that professional nurses were discouraging students to become professional nurses themselves, because the students were very young. When students perceived professional nurses as being envious of students, they did not trust those professional nurses.

“You expected the nurse, you expect her to teach you in the clinical setting. But you go there and you find that they are not that free to teach you ... I mean she does not have the time for you - some of them. I mean the students have this mental view that the nurses are jealous, that jealous. That is when the trust is going to break. Because you are not going to trust that nurse that does not have time to teach.” (G9)

“You know they may feel that this child, she will be a professional nurse at the age of 24 and sometimes they are very hesitant to teach us something when we ask them about something, just to discourage us.” (G1)

Trentham (2011:17) emphasises that failing to supervise in the clinical practice is a professional misconduct. Students need professional nurses with the abilities and positive attitudes to teach them during WIL. Support and teaching from the professional nurses will ensure that students attain the required learning outcomes. The SANC (SANC 2007:5) requires from the professional nurses the development and facilitation of learning of others. It is also stated that the scope of practice of professional nurses is to actively engage in education and training of students. Professional nurses who are competent to teaching clinical knowledge and skills are trusted.

Participants as future professional nurses discussed certain characteristics which were expected of the ideal nursing student.