THE CLINICAL ROLE OF THE NURSE TEACHER IN THE UNITED-KINGDOM

The focus of this paper is the clinical role of the nurse teacher. Using selected findings from a small exploratory study in which a questionnaire was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data from teachers about their role, three areas are discussed. Examination of the number of clinical areas teachers link with identified three different models of clinical contact. The frequency and timing of teachers' visits to clinical areas are not evenly distributed and some of the reasons for this are discussed. The nature of the clinical role is explored with emphasis on liaison and teachers' perceptions of support of students and clinical staff. Finally, teachers' perceptions of their clinical skill and the implications of this is discussed. It is concluded that all three areas require further analysis if the role of the nurse teacher is to be clarified and made more effective in the future.