Exploring the experiences of novice sessional clinical nursing instructors

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore and describe the experiences of novice sessional clinical nursing instructors. Ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate ethics review boards. Sampling consisted of nine novice instructors from three educational institutions in Southern Alberta. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The identified themes, which outline the experiences of the participants, include professional responsibility, preparation, support, seeking mentors, familiarity, and growth. The resultant findings indicate that the current trend of hastily hiring sessional instructors can result in novice instructors facing many challenges when entering academia. As a result of the findings in this study, formal recommendations were developed that would assist the novice sessional in understanding and performing more effectively in the role of clinical nursing instructor.