Lost in translation: barriers to learning in health professional clinical education

Abstract

The perennial debate concerning the so‐called ‘theory‐practice gap’ pervades health professional education. It is uncertain whether this gap – the notion that knowledge gained in university does not translate well into the workplace – is unavoidable or if it is a manifestation of the learning approaches used and the cultures operative in the two locations. This paper examines how nursing students’ knowledge and skills gained within university clinical laboratories transfer into the reality of the clinical environment. A series of one‐on‐one interviews were conducted over a two year period with second and third year nursing students (n = 28) participating in a preceptorship clinical placement..