Exploring Nursing Students’ Experiences Regarding Clinical Supervision: A Study At The SDA Hospital, Kwadaso - Kumasi

Abstract

Clinical supervision of nursing students serves as a tool to bridging the theory and practice gap and promoting clinical competencies in nursing students. Despite its importance, there are concerns of inadequate clinical supervision of nursing students. This study sought to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences regarding clinical supervision, using Proctor’s functional interactive model. An exploratory descriptive approach was used to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences regarding clinical supervision. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for the study (n=15). Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted with an interview guide and proceedings audio-recorded. Analysis was undertaken using thematic analysis to generate emergent themes. Themes identified were interpersonal relationships, roles played by clinical supervisors, factors contributing to effective clinical supervision, and challenges to effective clinical supervision. Nursing students had positive and negative experiences with regards to their interpersonal relationships with supervisors. Clinical supervisors performed varied roles in line with Proctor’s functional interactive model. Nursing students had to put in personal effort and be willing to learn in order to contribute to positive clinical supervision outcomes. Equally, clinical supervisors had to avail themselves and remain dedicated to improve on nursing students’ clinical supervision experiences. Lack of resources and inadequate clinical supervisors hinder effective clinical supervision. The study recommends that a policy framework be developed by the various stakeholders to serve as a tool for effective clinical supervision. Clinical supervisors should be trained and certified to offer clinical supervision. Required resources should be provided for clinical supervisors to use in supervising nursing students.

Key Words: Experiences, Nursing Students, Clinical Supervision, Clinical Supervisor .