Abstract

Introduction: Clinical education encountered significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries due to the prevailing psychological climate in clinical environments. The inability to provide opportunities for students to gain relevant and appropriate clinical experiences has consequences for students and the nursing profession. This study aimed to describe the challenges of clinical education for nursing educators at the Sarab Faculty of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials & Methods: This research employed a qualitative content analysis methodology, collecting data from nine participants through semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was initiated and continued until data saturation was reached. The data analysis utilized a directed content analysis approach.
Results: Data analysis was conducted considering the conceptual framework of the Ministry of Health's educational program for clinical education in eight main categories: assessment methods, clinical instructors, learners, educational opportunities, educational resources and facilities, educational management, educational objectives, and educational content. The research's accuracy, validity, and robustness were assessed using the criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study, based on the framework of the qualitative research paradigm model, indicate that educational management factors, educational resources, and facilities are the central categories of the research. This study's results can be used to plan appropriately to improve clinical training in pandemic conditions.