The perception of Swedish nurses and nurse teachers of the integration of theory with nursing practice. An explorative qualitative study.

Nursing education in Sweden has undergone quite a few changes during the last decade. The aim has been to make nursing more holistic, individualised and health-oriented. Social competence, systematic problem solving and research have also been emphasised. These changes in nursing education have led to new demands on nurse teachers. Nurse teachers, directors of nursing education at three nursing schools and a few nurses were interviewed about the problems they experienced in relation to the new demands. The main problems reported were: 1) students inadequately prepared for nursing education, 2) students' attitudes to the social and health-oriented content of the first course at nursing school, 3) integration of research and nursing, 4) resistance to a more theory-based and nurse teacher-dominated nursing education, 5) integration of nursing theory and nursing practice and 6) incompatible demands on the clinical nurse teacher.