Lecturers’ experience of service user involvement in nurse education

This thesis explores adult nursing lecturers’ experiences of service user involvement in pre-registration nurse education. Until now, the lecturer voice has been largely missing in service user involvement literature, which is concerning considering the pivotal role lecturers play in facilitating involvement. In this research, nine adult nursing lecturers from two universities took part in semi-structured interviews, exploring their experiences of involving service users in nurse education. This study employed descriptive phenomenology undertaking Colaizzi’s data analysis. Descriptive phenomenology enabled an in-depth description of lecturers’ lived experiences. Three key themes are presented: ‘Filling the gaps’, ‘Muddling along’ and ‘Challenges and facilitators.’ New insights revealed adult nurse lecturers in this study felt service user input was an ideal companion to their teaching, but they also described their isolated and unsupported roles. The challenges faced by lecturers in promoting, sustaining, and developing service user involvement in nurse education, illustrates important implications for future practice. The findings of this study demonstrate an academic hesitancy, and a new understanding into lecturers’ experiences of service user involvement. Participants felt service user involvement enriched nurse education and academic teaching, yet the challenges of inclusion and lack of organisational support for service user activity meant lecturers had many hidden roles. Lecturers appeared crucial to unlocking service user potential in nurse education, requiring a firm infrastructure to fulfil this achievement. Findings from this study illustrate missed opportunities, fragmented processes, and minimal support, despite enthusiasm and commitment from the participants. This study highlights the quietened voice of the lecturer and provides important recommendations to support education, professional and organisational needs. The essential role of lecturers and their ‘grass root’ approaches is often unrecognised and undervalued. Lecturers need firmly positioning within organisations, to identify, promote and evaluate the service user and academic journey, encouraging lecturers’ voices to become more than a whisper.