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Background: Clinical education is essential to the development of nursing students and future nursing practice. However, research often focuses on pedagogies used in the classroom and not in the clinical environment. Problem: Presently, there is no framework in nursing education to describe the subject matter and pedagogical knowledge educators draw upon when teaching in the clinical setting. Approach: This article describes how the mathematical knowledge for teaching framework was applied to nursing education to examine clinical educators' subject matter and pedagogical knowledge. Outcomes: By applying the framework, facets of subject and pedagogical knowledge used by clinical educators were identified, defined, and described. Conclusions: Applying the mathematical knowledge for teaching framework to clinical education may be an initial step to describe the types of knowledge that nursing educators draw upon in the clinical setting. It may also be used in the design of professional development and mentoring programs for nurse educators.

Background and objective: Based on the limited literature, a formalized peer tutoring program was developed at the study institution’s School of Nursing to promote the success of academically at-risk students.  The evaluation process was designed to guide program improvement as well as to contribute to the available literature related to peer tutoring in programs of nursing. The purpose of this study was to formally evaluate a newly developed formalized peer tutoring program for undergraduate nursing students, to inform other undergraduate nursing programs considering implementing a peer tutoring program.Methods: The peer tutoring program was evaluated using parallel post-experience surveys for tutors and tutees. Participants also completed a Learning and Studying Strategies Questionnaire, to determine if strategy use differed between the two groups.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in learning/studying strategies used by tutors and tutees, with both being predominantly superficial strategies. Tutors and tutees evaluated the tutoring program overwhelmingly positively. A few students did make suggestions for improvements in the payment system and suggested making tutoring more widely available.Conclusions: The formalized peer tutoring program is a valuable asset in promoting the academic success of undergraduate nursing students.  Minor changes to the program have been made according to student suggestions.

The authors thank Dr Christina Dempsey and Mr Brian Boyle for their ongoing support and willingness to share their knowledge and experiences with their students.