Providing nurse supervisors with a theoretical framework to support student learning during placement-based work integrated learning: a survey study

There is an absence of information about the efficacy of teaching techniques specifically used to prepare nurse supervisors in clinical teaching and supervision of students during placement based work integrated learning (WIL). For nurse supervisors to gain an understanding of the student perspective, participants undertook continuing professional development interactive simulation activities. This pre-post intervention study aimed to determine whether interactive simulation as an intervention was effective for preparing registered nurses (n=60) to support student learning during WIL. Furthermore, the research assessed whether the clinical reasoning cycle became integrated into nurse supervision practices on return to the workplace. There was a significant increase in post-workshop skill ratings compared to pre-workshop for all 19-item scores. At six-weeks follow-up, four items remained stable. For 15 of the 19 items there was a statistically significant downward shift in the spread of the data. However, median skill/knowledge scores were equivalent for 13 items. The findings showed inclusion of the clinical reasoning cycle using the same pedagogical framework students would experience during interactive simulation, improved nurse supervisor’s skills and confidence ratings in the short-term. Further continuing professional development using interactive simulation may advance embedding of the theoretical framework and promote knowledge and skill retention.