Abstract
The United States is in the midst of a nursing faculty shortage, particularly those that provide clinical instruction. Clinical instructors play an integral role in undergraduate nursing education by bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and nursing practice; this position is also the most difficult to recruit for and retain. The factors negatively impacting faculty retention are complex, but research finds that role strain is a prominent reason for job dissatisfaction and a contributor to faculty attrition.
This study utilized a mixed methods approach to explore role strain among undergraduate clinical instructors teaching in Wisconsin nursing programs. Of particular interest was the impact of nurse faculty practice on the degree of role strain experienced. Participants were also invited to discuss activities they undertook to relieve role strain. The sample (n=37) was comprised of undergraduate clinical instructors employed by one of four BSN-degree conferring institutions in Wisconsin, all located in an urban setting. Fifty-one percent of participants engaged in nurse faculty practice.
Results indicated that clinical instructors experienced varying degrees of role strain and that nurse faculty practice did not reduce role strain, although practicing instructors felt more competent. Role strain was lessened when instructors practiced at the same facility where they taught clinical. Collegial support was a key factor that relieved role strain. Academic institutions were recommended to develop mechanisms for providing collegial support to instructors and to support nurse faculty practice by forming academic-practice partnerships with health care organizations. Doing so may reduce clinical instructor role strain and attrition.
Sigma Membership
Beta Eta at-Large
Type
DNP Capstone Project
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Nursing Education, Clinical Instructors, Nurse Faculty Practice, Role Strain
Advisor
Quinn Mullikin
Second Advisor
Maria Yelle
Third Advisor
Diana Gridley
Degree
DNP
Degree Grantor
Edgewood College
Degree Year
2017
Recommended Citation
Astrella, Julie A., "An exploration of factors that impact role strain among undergraduate clinical instructors teaching in Wisconsin nursing programs" (2022). Dissertations. 16.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/16
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2022-06-21
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 10599179; ProQuest document ID: 1976109874. The author still retains copyright.