Effectiveness of the Clinical Teaching Associate Model in Clinical Nursing Education

Nurses need to have high levels of clinical competence for the
provision of quality care to patients. The use of modern teaching methods can
help nursing students develop their clinical competence. Objectives: This study
aimed to evaluate the effects of the Clinical Teaching Associate (CTA) model on
clinical skills and satisfaction with clinical education among nursing students.
Methods: This two‑group posttest‑only trial was conducted on 120 nursing
students recruited through the census method from Tabriz Faculty of Nursing
and Midwifery, Tabriz, Iran. They had just taken the oncology nursing clinical
education course. Participants were randomly allocated to a control group to
receive clinical education through routine teaching method and an intervention
group to receive clinical education through the CTA model. At the end of the
course, participants’ clinical skills and satisfaction were assessed using a checklist
and a questionnaire, respectively. The study data were analyzed using the measures
of descriptive statistics and independent‑samples t‑tests. Results: The mean score
of overall clinical skills in the intervention group was significantly greater than
that of the control group (75.54 ± 4.24 vs. 65.46 ± 5.32; P = 0.003). Moreover,
the mean score of overall satisfaction with clinical education in the intervention
group was significantly greater than that of the control group (98.16 ± 1.23 vs.
84.41 ± 1.52; P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study shows the positive effects of the
CTA model on nursing students’ clinical skills and satisfaction. Therefore, it can
be used to improve learning outcomes among nursing students.