Investigating Factors Affecting the Gap of Nursing Education and Practice from students and instructors’ viewpoints

Background: The existence of a gap between theory and practice in nursing is a problem that is rooted in the history of nursing education, which means that there is a difference between what the student at the college and the behavior that appears in the clinic, and this discrepancy is of concern to community health educators. A coherent understanding of the learning and practice gap is a crucial step in dealing with this gap and thus promoting nursing and community health. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the gap between education and practice from the three viewpoints of nurses in Shohada Medical Center and nursing students and trainers of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Qaen. Methods:  This descriptive-analytic study was carried out at the Faculty of Nursing and Shohada Hospital in Qaen. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, completed by a census sampling method, completed by 107 nurses and 16 instructors and 105 nursing students from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Qaen, and analyzed. Results:  The greatest impact on the gap between training and practice in terms of students, the use of experienced mentors, self-confidence, coaching support, and the greatest impact from the mentors' view, coach's conscience, motivation, weak mentor supervision, the use of experienced coaches, educational perspective Managers and most impact from nurses' perspective: self-esteem, experienced mentors, nurse motivation and nursing shortages. The results also showed that students had more faith in the training and practice gap than instructors and nurses. Conclusion:  It seems that, given the gap between education and practice, managers of educational centers should take the necessary measures to reduce this gap in management, decision making and educational planning.