As a clinical instructor, one of my significant concerns is dealing with several students at once and providing optimum learning experience and patient safety. Moving from a role that involved caring for individual patients to managing a group of students at one time has been a big challenge for me. I used to focus simply on addressing the individual needs of my patients; now I have to divide my time between helping students, answering their questions, and ensuring they grasp the clinical concepts being implemented.
Sometimes this challenge seems difficult, particularly when considering the various learning paces and needs of the students. For example, I find myself pondering how to handle situations whereby one student requires close supervision in doing a nursing procedure while another student's patient develops unexpected or urgent medical attention. According to Labrague et al. (2019), clinical instructors need to have good multitasking and decision-making capabilities to offer effective guidance to the students. I can see that this area of concern is a great avenue for me to improve both personally and as a clinical instructor by establishing clear priorities, being well-organized, and practicing assertive communication.
Another challenge for me as a clinical instructor is giving constructive feedback that facilitates students' learning without eroding their confidence or self-esteem. When I observe a student to potentially makes a mistake or is struggling with a clinical task, I occasionally doubt the ideal timing and strategy for intervention. In this sense, I am working on honing my approach by thinking first before providing comments, ensuring that it is specific, timely, and phrased in a way that promotes student learning and at the same time without compromising students' self-esteem and clinical competence.
Lastly, I am also concerned about the importance of upholding professional boundaries while fostering an environment that promotes effective learning for my students. Finding the appropriate equilibrium between being accessible and upholding the requisite authority for clinical teaching and assessment presents a significant challenge for me. In this connection, I need to enhance my ability to establish trust with my students by providing an environment where they can feel comfortable asking questions and airing their concerns while maintaining a subtle balance of professionalism anchoring on Lapeña et al., (2017).
References:
Labrague, L. J., McEnroe-Petitte, D. M., & Tsaras, K. (2019). Predictors and outcomes of nurse professional autonomy: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 25(1), e12711. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12711
Lapeña, L. F., Tuppal, C. P., Loo, B. G., & Abe, K. C. (2017). Transformational and transactional leadership styles of nurse managers and job satisfaction among Filipino nurses: A pilot study. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 7(2), 65-78. https://doi.org/10.14710/nmjn.v7i2.15171
