The Obstacles and Improving Strategies of Clinical Education from the Viewpoints of Clinical Instructors in Tehran’s Nursing Schools

Introduction: The situation of clinical education should be always evaluated in order to improve its quality. This study was performed to determine the viewpoints of clinical instructors about obstacles of clinical teaching and strategies for improving its quality in Tehran Nursing Schools in 2005. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey 60 instructors of Tehran’s nursing and midwifery schools were selected by census sampling method. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire consisted of 5 domains including the performance of clinical instructors, curriculum design, clinical environment, students’ characteristics, and educational and welfare facilities. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (13.0), using descriptive statistics, t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results: The instructors reported the quality of clinical education average in the domains of clinical environment and educational facilities, and weak in other domains. Lack of interest and motivation in students was the main obstacle for clinical education. Paying more attention to appropriate planning for clinical education was mentioned as the best strategy for quality improvement. Conclusion: The quality of clinical teaching was unsuitable. In order to overcome these challenges, the collaboration of instructors, staff, educational supervisors, head nurses, nursing managers and other managerial levels is recommended.