How to implement masters’ level of health care providers‘ education in internships – exploring the views of students, clinicians and educators in midwifery and public health nursing

Abstract

Abstract In the course of worldwide attempts of academization of professional educations and the Bologna process nursing educations have become both Bachelor and Master’s programmes at colleges, polytechnics and universities. The study investigates the question, how public health nurses’ and midwifes’ training on Master’s level in internships is operationalized by those involved in the conduct of these parts of the programmes. The study also aimed at providing a better understanding of barriers and facilitators of realizing the Master’s level in internships. Using theory of planned behaviour as a theoretical and methodological framework, individual in depth interviews were conducted with representatives of all involved parties. After content analysing the interview data focus group meetings were held purposing on validation of the findings from the first part of the study. The findings show controversial discussion about, whether a Master’s level is needed, and challenges met during attempts to enable students practicing Master’s level during their clinical placements. The main result is the lack of a consensus about the role of an internship in the didactic context of a Master program and about how students, practice and educational institutions should interact on this matter. Varying assumptions regarding roles, accountability, and professional functions of a Master student working in practice have been condensed in a set of five distinct models. Rather than comparing and ranking the models against each other, their pure coexistence is discussed as a barrier of implementing advanced nursing practice and recommendations are provided for steps to resolve this confusion.