Staff nurses' perceptions of supernumerary status compared with rostered service for Diploma in Nursing students

Abstract

Background/rationale. In the Republic of Ireland, the amount of clinical teaching expected of staff nurses has increased substantially in the wake of the transfer of nursing education to universities, and the advent of supernumerary status for students. A modicum of previous research noted that staff nurses are unclear about their role in relation to facilitating the clinical learning of supernumerary students. Aims of the paper. To explore staff nurses' perceptions of their role in the facilitation of learning for university‐educated diploma students in the clinical area and their attitudes towards these students. Design/methods. Sixteen staff nurses were interviewed in depth using semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed qualitatively, using content analysis, with the help of the software package NUD*IST. Findings. Among the central themes to emerge, upon which this article is focused, was participants' perceptions of supernumerary status compared with rostered service for diploma students. Data suggested that the rostered status of students was generally favoured by staff nurses over and above supernumerary status because, unlike supernumerary students, rostered students did not disrupt the existing social structure within the clinical setting. Both structuration theory and role theory are drawn upon to explain the reproduction of the prevailing social structure, where the concentration is on getting through nursing work with little emphasis on the supervised learning of supernumerary students. Study limitations. This study is constrained by eliciting only the views of staff nurses. Further studies are required of student nurses' experiences of rostered service and supernumerary status. Conclusions. Because staff nurses are part of the system within which they work, they need to modify their role to include active student teaching as a legitimate component of that role.

Stress and stressors in the clinical environment: a comparative study of fourth‐year student nurses and newly qualified general nurses in Ireland

“…However the fact that the data collector was the participant's teacher could have resulted in the 'Hawthorne Effect' (Abbot and Sapsford, 1999) and social desirability regarding the questionnaires, as anonymity was not explicit. Despite this limitation, the findings are congruent with Hyde and Brady (2002) regarding ambiguity of the role of the supernumerary student nurse which prompts further exploration.…”

“…Previous studies have attributed the supernumerary status held by student nurses to this feeling of exclusion or isolation. This has been cited by previous studies as a contributory factor to conflict and inhibitory to learning (Downes, 2001) and inhibitory to socialisation of the student nurse on placement (Joyce, 1998;Hyde and Brady, 2002). Nevertheless there are both positive and negative attributes to supernumerary status on clinical placement (Gray and Smith, 1999;Spouse, 2000;O' Callaghan and Slevin, 2003;McGowan, 2006).…”

“…Maben et al found that the theory-practice gap lead to the disturbance of the ideals held prior to qualification, which is much researched and evidenced in previous studies (Hyde and Brady, 2002;Clark and Holmes, 2007). The longitudinal design and the trustworthiness of the data were explicitly documented which added to the scientific rigour of the content.…”

“…There is a general consensus in the literature that a newly qualified nurse experiences significant stress (Charnley, 1999;Holland, 1999;Godinez et al, 1999;Ross and Clifford, 2002). But Hyde and Brady (2002) note that the student years are not completely stress free either.…”

“…However the value of supernumerary status is refuted by Hyde and Brady (2002 (Hodson and Sorrentino, 1997).…”