NURSING AND MIDWIFERY STUDENTS’ LENS: CONNECTING THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE WITH CLINICAL PRACTICE: AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Aim: To explore and critically analyse the strategies employed by final-year BSc pre-registration nursing and midwifery students at an inner London university to connect theoretical knowledge with clinical practice, to promote their learning and professional development. Background: Navigating the theory-practice gap has been a significant challenge for nursing and midwifery students. While there are many perspectives from academics and clinicians, how theoretical knowledge is connected with clinical practice is rarely discussed and studied from the students’ perspectives. Design: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand nursing and midwifery students' experiences in connecting theoretical knowledge with clinical practice. Rather than attempting to establish objective truth, this thesis focused on participants’ subjective experiences. Method: This study employed a qualitative research design. The data was obtained using semi-structured interviews and analysed using an inductive approach. The study population included (n=12) pre-registration nursing and midwifery students enrolled on a Bachelor of Science programs. Findings: Four themes emerged (1) Complexity of embodied knowledge; (2) Sensing the meaning of personal and professional learning; (3) Demographic attributes and self-understanding; (4) Sense-making of COVID-19. Conclusion: The process by which pre-registration nursing and midwifery students connect theoretical knowledge with clinical practice is complex and multifaceted. It intersects with other factors and cannot be understood in isolation. This interconnectedness necessitates a thorough examination of all the variables involved.