Public Defence: Cathrine Mathisen

Cathrine Mathisen will defend her PhD degree in the programme Person, Health and Society. Her thesis explores the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of practice education facilitators in Norwegian nursing education.

16 Jun

Practical information

  • Date: 16 June 2025
  • Time: 10.00 - 15.30
  • Location: Drammen, auditorium A5508
  • Download calendar file

    • Link to digital participation

    Programme 

    10.00. Trial Lecture: Theoretical perspectives on the integration of academic and practical knowledge in professional higher education

    12.00. Public Defence: «Joint appointments in nursing education. Exploring possibilities and challenges of using practice education facilitators in nursing education. A realist-informed evaluation study».

    The public defence will be hosted by professor Janet Mattsson, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Assessment Committee

    • First opponent: Professor Annelie Sundler, University of Borås
    • Second opponent:  Associat Professor Mari Synnøve Berge, former employee of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
    • Administrator: Head of Departement Hans A. Hauge, University of South-Eastern Norway

    Supervisors

    • Principal Supervisor: Professor Elisabeth Holm Hansen, University of South-Eastern Norway
    • Co-supervisors:
      • Senior LecturerTurid-Iren Jacobsen, University of South-Eastern Norway
      • Professor Lena Heyn, University of South-Eastern Norway
      • Professor emerita Ida Torunn Bjørk, University of Oslo 

     

Any questions?

Cathrine Mathisen is defending her dissertation for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

The doctoral work has been carried out at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.

Summary

Cathrine Mathisen Clinical placements are a central component of nursing education, where students are expected to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience through encounters with patients and real-life clinical situations. This integration is essential for developing the clinical competence required to deliver safe and high-quality nursing care. High-quality placements therefore depend on strong collaboration between the educational institutions and the healthcare services.

In Norway, clinical placements are typically organised as 6–12-week periods in a clinical ward, where a registered nurse is responsible for supervising and supporting the student (clinical supervisor). In addition, the student is followed up by a clinical lecturer from the educational institution. The lecturer holds primary responsibility for assessing the student at both the mid-point and final evaluation, in collaboration with the clinical supervisor.

Despite shared responsibility for clinical placements, achieving effective collaboration between educational institutions and healthcare services remains challenging. This is partly due to differences in organisational cultures, priorities, and societal roles, which can lead to misunderstandings and a lack of shared ownership. These structural and cultural differences may hinder the development of a cohesive learning environment. In addition, the quality of clinical learning environments varies, and the role of the clinical supervisor is particularly crucial in shaping students’ experiences.

One initiative proposed by Norwegian authorities to improve the quality of clinical placements in nursing education is the increased use of so-called joint positions. This thesis, through three studies, explores the opportunities and challenges associated with joint positions. These are roles in which nurses have a dedicated responsibility to act as a link between educational institutions and healthcare services, with the aim of strengthening clinical placements as learning environments.

The findings show that joint positions can be an important measure for enhancing the quality of clinical learning, particularly by supporting clinical supervisors in their role. Familiarity with both the educational and clinical contexts gives these nurses a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the two, which can lead to improved collaboration. However, for these roles to contribute to meaningful change, they must be positioned in a way that allows for organisational influence.