Collaborative research between nurses employed in the
academic and practice sectors is a cost-effective and innovative way to investigate aspects of clinical practice, articulate clinical and teaching expertise, and extend professional practice knowledge. In collaborative ventures, researchers from different institutional cultures often work together to investigate a particular area of interest. This poses challenges in relation to the perceptions, understandings, and interpretations of the research question and of the mode of inquiry, particularly when investigating through the qualitative paradigm.
The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to clarify some of the challenges experienced while
conducting
collaborative research and describe the steps taken to
ensure consistency between the purpose of the research
and the phenomenological research design used to explore the learning that nursing students acquire in their
final clinical practicum. Second, it was thought that by illuminating this learning, registered nurses working as preceptors and those supporting new graduates could gain
insight into the complexities of learning the skills of safe and competent practice from the student’s perspective.
This insight is essential in creating a strategy between
education and practice to minimize the duplication of
learning opportunities and lessen the cost of supporting
newly registered nurses, which may be at the expense of
investment in the professional development of experienced
registered nurses.