Educational leave for lecturers to regain clinical competence: 1.

The clinical credibility and clinical competence of nurse lecturers have presented interesting debate for some years in nursing. While some argue that being clinically competent is an unavoidable necessity for nurse lecturers, others are either ambivalent or believe that they do not have to be clinically competent, being clinically credible should suffice. This article distinguishes between the two terms and presents an analysis of how the latter can be developed through the use of paid educational leave. Such leave, known also as a sabbatical, is one of the possible benefits of being a nurse lecturer within higher education in the UK, and it can be used opportunely as a means of regaining and further developing one's clinical skills and knowledge, if this is perceived as a need. If nurse lecturers value the retention and development of one's own clinical skills and knowledge, then some mechanism should be in place for them to achieve this aim. Johns' (1998) model of structured reflection is used for reflecting on one such experience. The article is in two parts.