'Can you take a student this morning?' Maximising effective teaching by practice nurses

OBJECTIVES Little is known about the contribution nurses make to medical student learning. This study set out to explore the nature of practice nurse teaching during the general practice clerkship and to investigate ways in which the teacher and learner (the practice nurse and the medical student) can be best supported to maximise learning. METHODS Mixed focus groups were conducted with general practitioner educational supervisors and practice nurses. Further focus groups were conducted with students on completion of clerkships. RESULTS There is wide variation in the delivery, organisation and expectations of practice nurse teaching. Although there is some evidence of a passive learning experience, the learning dynamic and the student-nurse relationship are regarded highly. CONCLUSIONS Time spent with practice nurses is an important part of the clerkship in general practice. The nature of the practice nurse-medical student relationship differs from that of the educational supervisor-medical student relationship and can be built upon to maximise learning during the clerkship. The experience for the practice nurse, medical student and supervisor can be enhanced through formal preparation for delivering teaching.