Abstract
Nurse-teacher educators, or teachers of nurse-teachers, are a hidden group in both higher education practice and nurse education literature. My personal experience and professional curiosity motivated me to learn more about this professional group. My inquiry focused on the educational and professional experiences of nurse-teacher educators, and how their experiences informed their support of student nurse-teachers.Using Connelly and Clandinin’s Narrative Inquiry, I engaged in narrative conversations with three nurse-teacher educators as co-participants over a six-month period. Shared stories were developed into one composite story that distilled the co-participants’ experiences whilst also protecting their individual anonymity. The composite story is inhabited by the character of Laura.
Following reflection on the composite story and by applying the personal justification, or first stage of analysis central to Narrative Inquiry, narrative patterns of role modelling, transition, and identity were revealed. By applying the practical justification or second stage of analysis, these narrative patterns were viewed through a combined theoretical lens of transition and liminality. This combined lens revealed that Laura’s contribution to the preparation of nurse-teachers and their transformation from clinical nurse to nurse-teacher included: cultivation of student-centred relationships, expert pedagogical knowledge, and modelling of a nurse-teacher identity. Finally, by applying the third stage of analysis or social justification, Laura’s experiences, and their significance are shared with other health and educational professionals, and implications and areas for consideration for a group of academics wider than nursing are raised. In Narrative Inquiry the re-presentation of stories can take many forms.
In this Narrative Inquiry, the re-presented narrative takes the form of a letter to the Council of Deans of Health, who are the voice of nursing and health professions at UK universities. In the letter I have shared issues for reflection and debate, and included potential ways forward for the future professional development of nurse- and healthcare-teachers, and nurse- and healthcare- teacher educators.
Through this Narrative Inquiry, I have made a unique contribution to the research landscape of nurse-teacher education.
| Date of Award | 2019 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Maggie Lawrence (Supervisor) & Susan Kerr (Supervisor) |