Evaluation of gap between theoretical and clinical education in critical care nursing

Human always has needs and demands in his life, and education is one of them. In spite of many investigations in education field it is still far from acceptable criteria. Many of students and teachers ask themselves that what future of this education is and what its result is. These questions address the human to the conclusion of education which it is using of it in practice. Todays, nursing profession encounters with education practice gap. This problem in nursing means gap between theoretical and clinical learning. The aim of this study is to determine factors of education practice gap in critical care nursing. For this descriptive study we produced questionnaire with likert options to evaluate factors. The questionnaire was given to faculty members of nursing department in TMU for face and content validity. This questionnaire had 4 parts include: demographic information, 19 factors were asked from samples for rating and evaluation, two open questions for understanding and determining of other factors and finally one question for suggestions and strategies about reducing of this gap. 74 samples were participated in our study. It was including of 61 nursing students who passed the critical care nursing lessons in class and educational hospital and 13 nursing instructors. The mean age of students was 22.6±2.04. The most of them were female (85.2%) and single (77%). The reasons of gap between theoretical & practical education can be listed:1- Stressors in clinical environment (88.46%) 2- Different common language and dominant atmosphere in educational environment (85%) 3- Following common rules, routine and incorrect habits in clinical environment (83.56%)4- Conflict between nurse instructors and nurse practitioners about theoretical education (76.13%)5- Lack of motivation in students, instructors and nurses in critical care units (75.4%). According to the results some strategies are suggested: planning the courses with obvious measurable and applicable goals and offering it to staffs and providing a standards evaluation form for nurse's evaluation of student's clinical situations. And finally operational steps for this strategy, include: 1- Establishing professional committee in health ministry for planning and recognizing needs and situations for this strategy, 2- Offering the results of this planning to health ministry staffs, 3- Detect and evaluating this plan and then offering to medical sciences university for application, 4- The plan should be applied by educational centers and must be monitored with university.