Partnership between the school of nursing and the hospital: supervisors' perspectives

Abstract

Background: Partnership is commonplace in life and is characterized by a relationship and shared goals as well as common purpose. The research into partnership as a phenomenon among organizations is scarce and nowadays this partnership is more urgent than before to work more effectively and with a greater sense of efficacy. Objective: To explore, via a focus group, the supervisors’ representations about the partnership between the school of nursing and the hospital. Methods: Qualitative study. Five sessions following a focus group approach were developed focusing on a discussion about the partnership between the school of nursing and the hospital. Eighteen supervisors (eleven from the local hospital and seven from the academy) participated in this focus group (nine supervisors allocated equally in two groups). Data collection also included interviews and field notes analysed according to qualitative content analysis. Results: Three categories emerged as cornerstones of a framework. These categories are expectations related to clinical supervision, understanding the partnership between the school of nursing and hospital and a collaborative approach as a way to enhance the development of quality references. Conclusions: This study provides further support for the improvement of the partnership between the school of nursing and the hospital. It identifies the need for a partnership between the school and hospital, which includes preparation/joint planning and meetings.