The influence of work-related experiences on the nursing and teaching competencies of clinical instructors in nursing schools in Iloilo City

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the personal characteristics of clinical instructors assigned in handling nursing students in their Related Learning Experience (RLE) or clinical duty, their work- related experiences, nursing and teaching competencies. It further aimed to determine whether there is significant relationship between personal characteristics and work-related experiences, nursing and teaching competencies.

This is a descriptive-correlation study which covered 196 clinical instructors from six schools of nursing. The data were collected using the self-assessed questionnaire. The data were collected, analyzed by using the SPSS+ PC program. The results of the study show that the majority of the clinical instructors of the colleges of nursing were 41 years old and above, their mean age is 38.98 years; female; married and were bachelor degree holders.

All of the respondents had experienced being a registered nurse, a clinical nurse and a clinical instructor. Slightly more than one-third of them had 10 years or less experience as registered nurse. Nine in every ten also had less than eleven years of experience as a clinical nurse. Similarly, the experience of most respondents as clinical instructor did not exceed ten years.

A little over half of the respondents had worked as staff nurse immediately before becoming a clinical instructor, while almost a quarter of them had worked as private duty nurse or volunteer nurse. Majority had been assigned in the Medical/ Surgical, Pediatric and Obstetrical-Gynecological wards or private rooms. As C is, the majority had been assigned to follow up students in the government hospitals or private health facilities.

Membership in Accredited Professional Organizations like Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) was high. Most of them had been members of the identified organizations for less than ten years.

Majority gave themselves high or expert rating in nursing competency. In eleven areas of nursing core responsibility, the respondents obtained the highest mean rating (4.52) in Legal Responsibility; followed by Ethico-Moral Responsibility (mean= 4.41); and by Records Management responsibility (mean=4.37). and the least is Research, mean= 3.71. The lowest rating they gave themselves was in the area of research.

The majority of the clinical instructors also rated themselves outstanding in teaching competency. The highest mean rating obtained by the respondents was in the area of Management of Learning Environment (mean=4.33); followed by Teaching skills (mean= 4.31); and lastly in Personal and Social skills (mean=4.29).

The findings of this study further showed a significant relationship between the lengths of experience as RN and personal characteristics such as age and civil status and educational attainment. Moreover, a significant relationship was also found between the length of experience as clinical nurse and as a clinical nurse and selected personal characteristics, particularly, age and civil status but not with sex and educational attainment. Type of experience immediately before becoming a clinical instructor was not found to be significantly related with age, sex, civil status and educational attainment.

The study further show a significant relationship between area of assignment the C is are currently assigned and sex and civil status but not with age and educational attainment. Types of health facility the C is are currently assigned, likewise with their organizational participation has no significant relationship with personal characteristics. A significant relationship between nursing competency and age and civil status. However, no relationship was noted between nursing competency and sex and educational attainment.

The nurses’ educational attainment was also found to be significantly related with teaching competency, but age, sex, and civil status were not. In relation to nursing competency, length of experience as clinical nurse and length of experience as a clinical instructor were found to be significant determinants. Their length of experience as RN, however, did not matter. On the other hand, a significant relationship was found between nursing competency and length of experience as clinical nurse and as clinical instructor.

The data further show a significant relationship between teaching competency and length of experience as clinical nurse and as clinical instructor. However, length of experience as an RN did not significantly influence their teaching ability. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between type of experience immediately before becoming a clinical instructor; area of assignment; type of health facility; organizational participation and their nursing and teaching competencies.

Finally, the study revealed a significant relationship between nursing and teaching competency.