Relationships Between Classroom Theory and Clinical Practice

Abstract

One might expect students with a strong theory base to do better in clinical situations than peers with a weaker theory grasp, yet nursing instructors all are aware of situations where transfer and application of knowledge and skills do not flow easily. A strong theoretical student may, in fact, be only functioning at a fair level clinically while a weaker student in the classroom may achieve high marks in a clinical setting. What is the relationship between students' grades in theory and their grades in clinical settings? And are grades within the school reflective of achievement in the entrance examinations to the profession? These questions led to a study of the relationship between scores achieved by second-year students at the University of British Columbia in the classroom, in the clinical setting, and in outside examinations such as the National League of Nursing (NLN) Achievement Tests and the Canadian Nurses' Association-sponsored Registered Nurse (RN) Examinations.