Clinical Teaching in the Field of District Psychiatry

• Published in: Nordic Journal of Nursing Research 2006-06, Vol.26 (2), p.10-14
• Main Author: Saeterstrand, T. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0107-4083; 2057-1585; 2057-1593
• DOI: 10.1177/010740830602600203

The importance of clinical teaching in practice and ensuring positive clinical experiences for under graduate nurse students has been widely acknowledged in literature. There is considerable literature related to undergraduate nursing clinical teaching within practical aspects like effectiveness of clinical teaching and a discussion of models adapted. Only a small part of the existing literature describes how nurses practice clinical teaching in the district psychiatry field. Clinical teaching in Norway is done by experienced nurses in different practical settings. The aim of this study is to describe how nurses experience clinical teaching and how users who suffer from mental illnesses experience their participation in the interaction process with the students. The sample consists of eight persons who were interviewed. Four nurses and four users described their experiences in practice. The essence of clinical teaching was the reflections before, during and after practice situations that enabled the nurse students to begin to use self-experienced emotions and their growing self-awareness to provide an appropriate care level for the patients.