An investigation of the lived experiences of registered nurses facilitating supernumerary nursing students

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the everyday lived experiences of registered nurses facilitating supernumerary diploma student nurses in the clinical area. The research question; ‘How do registered nurses perceive their role in relation to supernumerary students?’ provided the central focus for the study. Using purposive sampling, 10 participants were chosen for the research. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The themes that emerged from the data are ‘supernumerary status’, ‘facilitating students’, ‘rewarding experience’, ‘student interest’, ‘the diploma programme’ and ‘issues in nurse education’. The findings revealed positive and negative experiences of facilitating supernumerary students. Since the diploma programme of pre-registration nurse education was in its inaugural stages in Ireland at the time of this study, a foundation for further research is established. The conclusion indicates that facilitating supernumerary student nurses at diploma level can be a complex phenomenon for registered nurses.