Suggestions to Close the Gap in Nursing Education: Nursing Students' Perspectives

Abstract

Background: The nursing profession is composed of two main parts; the theoretical part which reflects the knowledge that is received in the class room and the practical part which focuses on improving the students’ skills in the clinical area. The literature shows that there is a gap between these two parts.

Aims: The aim of this study was  to identify suggestions and interventions to explore the students’ perceptions about theory-practice gap in nursing education.

Method: An explorative qualitative design was adopted. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews with thirty (second, third and fourth year) nursing students who had taken at least two clinical courses were done.

Findings: The students have raised several ideas and suggestions to close the theory-practice gap in nursing education. Their statements and accounts were collected together and built five major themes:  Open channels between theory and practice teachers, students need to be supported more, increasing the competency of clinical instructors, using different methods of education, and preparing and improving the clinical laboratories. 

Conclusion: The qualitative design used in this study provided deep and rich novel data about the theory-practice gaps in nursing education in Jordan. This subject is examined for the first time in Jordan. Therefore, the information from this study could be useful for undergraduate students, nursing schools, nursing teachers and the stakeholders in Jordan.

 

Keywords: Theory-practice gap, nursing, education, Jordan.