Evaluation of Effective Clinical Instruction to KRCHN Students by Nurses in Machakos Level-5 and Chogoria Mission Hospitals in Eastern Region, Kenya.

Abstract

Clinical instruction remains a significant component and critical part of nursing education. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether effective clinical instruction took place in Chogoria Mission Hospital and Machakos level five Hospital in eastern region of Kenya. The study used descriptive cross-sectional design to determine whether effective clinical instruction took place or not. The target population included all registered nurses in the two training hospitals in Eastern region of Kenya and senior student nurses from Chogoria school of nursing and KMTC Machakos as they use the two hospitals as their primary clinical sites. The sample size included 113 senior student nurses and 131 registered nurses statistically determined from the target population and 15 nurse managers. To determine senior student nurses and registered nurses to participate in the study, table of random numbers and sampling frames were used to randomly determine the sample size and participants per study area. The nurse managers were purposively identified as they were deemed to have the necessary information. Self administered semi-structured questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect data. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 while qualitative data was grouped into themes and analyzed as quantitative. The results revealed that effective clinical instruction was taking place in the two training hospitals although Chogoria was better than Machakos. Majority of registered nurses in both hospitals were not prepared in clinical instruction skills evidenced by Chi-square significance level of p=<0.01. Student nurses perceived gaps in nurses' ability to demonstrate a number of effective clinical instruction skills such as timely constructive feedback, response to students' questions, and nurses' organization in their wok among others. The researcher recommended that the management of training hospitals and colleges should put more emphasis in nurses' educational preparation on effective clinical instruction skills. She also recommends further studies preferably observational to shed light on new findings that emerged in this study.