What is clinical credibility for the nurse lecturer?

Within the community of nursing, the topic of clinical credibility and what exactly this means for the nurse lecturer has been widely debated and discussed in research over the past few decades. Providing hands-on care is not required for nurses to revalidate and stay on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. Being active in practice, delivering hands-on care is not often connected with a nurse lecturer's appraisal and progression process. Without either a recognised definition or formal framework for clinical credibility, there is confusion, which continues to fuel the debate (Ousey and Gallagher, 2010).

Much research regarding clinical credibility for the nurse lecturer to date discusses what clinical credibility may be, but often no clear definition is given (Cardwell et al, 2019). Without a clear definition it can be argued that clinical credibility is not measurable and so not achievable. Although clinical credibility is seen as required, it is notable that the process of achieving it is unclear (Ousey and Gallagher, 2010).