The experiences of lecturer practitioners in clinical practice

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe and understand the lived experiences of teaching for lecturer practitioners in the clinical workplace.

Background: Lecturer practitioners appear to have been introduced into practice to bridge the gap between academic and clinical learning although there appears to be little empirical evidence of how they work in clinical practice.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used in interpreting the transcribed interviews of five lecturer practitioners from different practice backgrounds working from the same university in the south of England.

Finding: Two synthesised interpretations of the lecturer practitioner experiences of teaching were described. One was of looking and seeing practice differently and challenging practitioners to do the same. The second was of working in the middle of the practice theory gap rather than trying to reduce it.

Conclusions: Although the findings are not generalisable to other lecturer practitioners the participants appeared to work in partnership with practitioners to bring a change in the clinical environment where learning was supported and encouraged. The partnership appeared to place the onus on the practitioner to develop their practice and the lecturer practitioners appeared to work as an educational enabler.