Challenges in the clinical education of the nursing profession in Iran: A qualitative study

Introduction: Clinical education is an important part of nurse training. It provides students with the opportunity to gain useful experience and has a key role in their professional preparation. The importance of clinical education in nursing students' professional performance means that identifying the challenges in this field is crucial. Aim: The goal of this study is to identify challenges in the field of clinical nurse education. Design: A qualitative content analysis study. Setting: A faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, in Iran 2017. Participants: Nine student nurses, three qualified nurses and two nursing educators. Methods: This study has been applied to various depths of interpretation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Nine student nurses, three qualified nurses and two nursing educators were interviewed. Results: The analysis of the interviews generated five categories. Two main themes were extracted as challenges in the clinical training of nursing professionals: 1. Inefficient educational structure and 2. Inefficient professional performance environment. Conclusion: Considering the inadequate professional performance environment and defective educational structure, designing and delivering lessons with clear goals is essential. Using objective and measurable scales for evaluating educational standards, the use of empowered instructors with high communicational skills is useful for increasing students' motivation and interest toward clinical education and solving existing challenges.