Nursing education is a field that prepares and equips students with apposite dexterities and theoretical models that can be applied in different clinical settings. This scenario explains why nursing is subdivided into two parts. These include practice and education (Mohsen, Safaan, & Okby, 2016). Experts indicate strongly that nurses and curriculum developers must focus on these two areas if quality services are to be delivered to the greatest number of patients. Effective teaching can equip nursing students with adequate competencies that can make them skilled caregivers. Unfortunately, evidence reveals that there is a major gap between nursing education and the manner in which evidence-based concepts are applied in practice. This paper uses recent studies and findings to explain why there is a gap between nursing education and practice.
Analyzing the Gap between Nursing Education and Nursing Practice
Saifan, Safieh, Milbes, and Shibly (2015) acknowledge that the realities experienced by many practitioners in healthcare settings reveal that there is a serious gap between education and practice. This situation has led to something known as “theory-practice gap” (Flood & Robinia, 2014, p. 330). Nurses in different units or settings have to deal with a wide range of obstacles that make it hard for them to offer high-quality care to their patients. They operate in rigid environments characterized by strict rules, rigid organizational structures, and inappropriate care delivery models. Such practitioners are forced to design their own philosophies in an attempt to maximize the health outcomes of their patients.
To begin with, many nurses are not guided to implement their theoretical understanding or knowledge into clinical practice. Many learning institutions do not have appropriate models that can ensure the acquired knowledge is applied efficiently in a wide range of healthcare units or settings. Practitioners tend to become frustrated after joining their working environments (Flood & Robinia, 2014). This challenge emerges because their expectations are not fulfilled in the healthcare setting.
Experts believe that most of the existing training processes fail to equip learners with adequate clinical skills that can be utilized in various practice settings (Hussein & Osuji, 2017). Nurses are not encouraged to complete extra hours in laboratory settings. This gap explains why they are usually unable to offer high-quality care and support to their patients (Hussein & Osuji, 2017). After completing school, they are usually keen not to commit specific mistakes. The occurrence of sentinel events makes it hard for them to deliver adequate care. Consequently, the quality of services available to more patients has remained below average.
Mackey and Bassendowski (2017) believe that the concept of evidence-based practice (EBP) is yet to be embraced by many nurses. This concept allows practitioners to combine expertise with clinical evidence in an attempt to advance their care delivery models. The educational practice does not offer adequate insights and theories that can be embraced by nurses to implement EBP practices in their institutions. This issue explains why the current gap has affected the health outcomes of more people.
Many educationists and researchers have appropriate qualifications and ideas in nursing theory. Despite the possession of superior dexterities, most of these professionals are unable to deliver the right content to their learners. Consequently, the nursing students find it hard to replicate the acquired knowledge and concepts in their healthcare units (Mohsen et al., 2016). This is a clear indication that most of the competencies possessed by educationists have not been linked with practice. Various developments in theory are yet to be applied in medical institutions to meet the needs of different patients.
Many theorists have also been observed to lack adequate skills that can support the educational needs of learners. This has been the case because learning processes have been transformed by the technological changes experienced in the world today (Hussein & Osuji, 2017). Additionally, different healthcare institutions have not managed to implement powerful transitions whereby nurses and caregivers can transform their care delivery models through the application of modern technologies. This issue has created a gap between education and practice.
In different nursing institutions, lecturers and instructors have managed to support the role of laboratory training sessions. However, experts have indicated clearly that such training processes lack clinical aspects that can be replicated by practitioners (Saifan et al., 2015). The processes also lack simulation and implementation procedures. This situation creates a unique gap whereby different learners are unable to practice optimally after completing their courses.
Hussein and Osuji (2017) go further to acknowledge that nurse practitioners are the ones to blame for this gap. It is agreeable that nursing education supports adequate measures to ensure research findings are identified and implemented to maximize patient care delivery. Unfortunately, many individuals stop engaging in life-long learning after school. This malpractice makes it hard for them to identify and acquire new concepts that can be transformed into effective care delivery. They also fail to work as teams in an attempt to improve their nursing philosophies. Such issues affect the manner in which medical care is delivered to underserved populations.
Suggestions to Bridge the Gap
The first recommendation that can be considered to deal with the current gap is creating a communication model between practicing nurses and instructors. This approach will maximize the level of communication and ensure teachers understand the issues affecting practice (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). Such concerns will inform new teaching processes and instructions that can bridge the gap.
Teaching processes can be expanded in such a way that clinical training is maximized. This approach will equip learners with adequate laboratory and nursing competencies that resonate with the diverse needs of more patients. The concept of practicum can be taken seriously to address the gaps faced by nurse practitioners (Mohsen et al., 2016). Institution will be guided to design better teaching procedures to cater for this need.
Students should also be empowered and supported throughout the learning process. This process will ensure every practical course is understood clearly. Instructors and learners should collaborate during these courses. The approach will equip the learners will adequate skills that can be applied successfully in nursing practice (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). The beneficiaries will be guided to minimize sentinel events that might have disastrous implications on the outcomes of more patients.
Instructors in nursing schools should acquire new concepts and notions that can be used to empower more learners. They should focus on emerging issues in nursing practice, embrace the role of technological developments, and develop powerful models. Nurses will find it easier to adopt such ideas and use them in their practice areas (Saifan et al., 2015). This approach will ensure scientific approaches are embraced to improve care delivery procedures.
There is need to encourage more students to embrace the power of evidence-based practice. This approach is embraced by practitioners who want to utilize new scientific evidence in their healthcare units (Flood & Robinia, 2014). The ACE star change model should be used to educate and empower students to implement EBP in their fields. When this approach is taken seriously, more practitioners will be prepared to engage in lifelong learning, focus on every emerging issue in healthcare, and embrace nursing education technology to deliver superior care to their patients (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). This strategy will minimize the current gap in nursing practice and education. Consequently, more researchers in the sector will be empowered to present better EBPs that can revolutionize the field of nursing.
Hussein and Osuji (2017) indicate that there should be no minimum differences between education and practice. These two parts of nursing should be implemented as a continuum. The strategy will guide practitioners to search for new ideas and knowledge in an attempt to improve their philosophies (Flood & Robinia, 2014). The approach can make it easier for them to monitor the emerging needs of more patients and address them using advanced practice procedures.
Conclusion
The theory-practice gap is one of the challenges affecting the nature and efficiency of services available to many populations. This gap is attributable to a wide range of issues such as ineffective transition, lack of appropriate structures to support the use of EBPs, and failure to promote the concept of lifelong learning. New changes in teaching processes and practice settings will empower more nurses to offer high-quality services to their patients. Stakeholders in nursing should undertake numerous studies to present sufficient ideas that can be used to bridge the gap and eventually improve the global healthcare sector.
Summary of the Paper
Introduction:
- Nursing education is what informs practice
- The two parts of nursing include practice and education (Hussein & Osuji, 2017).
- Education-practice gap is a reality today
- This scenario affects health care delivery
- This summary describes the nature of this gap
Lack of empowerment:
- Nurses are not guided to implement knowledge
- Learning institutions do not support students
- Training fails to deliver adequate clinical skills
- Training processes lack appropriate clinical practices
- Students are unmotivated and unable to perform
Evidence-based practice:
- EBP is not embraced in many institutions
- Nurses cannot focus on effective care
- Education process lacks adequate models for EBP
- Nurses cannot implement or acquire new ideas
- This issue has created a unique gap
Qualifications of instructors and teachers:
- Many instructors have superior dexterities in healthcare
- However, such skills are not passed across
- Nurses are unable to deliver quality care (Flood & Robinia, 2014)
- Teachers’ competencies are never replicated in practice
- Consequently, more patients receive inadequate care
Inferior teaching theories or models:
- Many theorists lack adequate teaching skills
- They have not focused on emerging technologies
- Healthcare institutions have not improved their models (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017).
- This issue widens the practice-education gap
- Effective transition is yet to be appreciated
Laboratory practices or courses:
- Institutions embrace the use of laboratory instructions
- Little time is allocated for such studies
- This issue has affected students’ skills
- Graduates are unable to implement new ideas
- The problem has affected care delivery significantly
Ignorance of nurse practitioners:
- Nurses have not embraced lifelong learning
- They do not implement EBPs in practice
- Nursing philosophies are not updated periodically
- Learning ceases immediately after completing school
- New concepts are usually ignored during practice
Bridging the current gap:
- Several measures can deal with this gap
- Coordination between instructions and nurses is relevant
- Continuous improvements in the fields is needed
- Stakeholders must be involved in the process
- Evidence-based ideas will guide future practice
Expanding teaching processes:
- Instructors and educators can expand clinical training
- Nursing and laboratory skills will be acquired
- Practicum will definitely support the process
- Institutions should consider new procedures or processes
- Changes in health technology should be monitored
Empowering learners:
- Instructors should empower their nursing students
- Practical courses should be increased and supported
- Instructors should always liaise with learners
- Learners should focus on emerging ideas
- Nurses should be empowered to avoid mistakes
Empowering instructors:
- Educators should be equipped with emerging concepts
- Such conceptions should be shared with learners
- Models should be developed for efficient practice
- Technological advances can transform the situation
- Scientific inquiries and findings will inform practice
Empowering or encouraging learners:
- Students of nursing should be empowered continuously
- Evidence-based practice should become a guiding principle
- Students should utilize the ACE model
- Nursing education technology should also be considered
- Such measures will minimize these existing gaps
Continuum in education and practice:
- Differences between learning and practice are inappropriate
- The two parts can be pursued together
- Nurses will use new information in practice
- Emerging needs will be monitored frequently
- Nurses will focus on better care models
Future prospects:
- There is need to acknowledge this challenge
- This move will result in problem resolution
- Nurses will improve health outcomes much faster
- Educators can identify new teaching models
- Technology will support future advances in practice
Concluding Remarks:
- The theory-practice gap affects health outcomes
- Many nurses are unable to practice optimally
- Ineffective transitions have catalyzed this problem
- Educators and nurses can address the issue
- Involvement of stakeholders can transform the situation
References
Flood, L. S., & Robinia, K. (2014). Bridging the gap: Strategies to integrate classroom and clinical learning. Nurse Education in Practice, 14(4), 329-332. Web.
Hussein, M. T., & Osuji, J. (2017). Bridging the theory-practice dichotomy in nursing: The role of nurse educators. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(3), 20-25. Web.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. Web.
Mohsen, M. M., Safaan, N. A., & Okby, O. M. (2016). Nurses’ perceptions and barriers for adoption of evidence based practice in primary care: Bridging the gap. American Journal of Nursing Research, 4(2), 25-33. Web.
Saifan, A. R., Safieh, H. A., Milbes, R., & Shibly, R. (2015). Suggestions to close the gap in nursing education: Nursing students’ perceptions. International Journal of Nursing Didactics, 5(10), 5-12. Web.