Clinical Faculty Orientation Practices in the United States: A Descriptive Study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Due to the nursing faculty shortage, expert clinical nurses are working as novice clinical instructors (CIs). Orientation is needed to prepare these nurses to teach; however, lack of evidence-based guidelines for orientation programs can lead to variability among institutions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe clinical nursing faculty orientation practices in the United States. METHODS: A descriptive convergent mixed methods design was used. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen CIs participated. Of these, 70.8% were not provided with a formal orientation to their role. Duration, modality, and content varied widely among orientations. Four themes were derived from the qualitative data Administrative Requirements, Transition to Clinical Educator, Mentorship, and Resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical faculty orientation practices vary widely in the United States. Evidence-based guidelines are needed to streamline orientations to provide CIs with the requisite knowledge and skills to support clinical students.