In touch to teach: Do nurse educators need to maintain or possess recent clinical practice to facilitate student learning?

•Interpretation of “recent clinical practice” is wide and varied.•Recent patient contact not essential for effective university-based teaching.•Staff involved in clinical practice education support student learning during clinical placements.

In recent years UK university-based nurse educators have seen a reduction in their responsibilities for nursing students' practice-based assessments. Many university-based nurse educators feel that this lack of input into students' clinical assessments leaves them open to criticism as they are perceived to be less “in-touch” with clinical practice and that their knowledge to teach nursing students is diminished as a result. This paper examines and debates some interpretations of the term “recent clinical practice” and challenges the misconception among many in the profession, as well as government and professional bodies, that university-based nurse educators require recent clinical practice to effectively teach students and enhance the student learning experience in the academic university setting.