An overview of data-based papers on undergraduate nurse education recently published in Contemporary Nurse: Progress, challenges and the need for a strategic agenda

Abstract

The history of nurse education is strongly grounded in the apprenticeship-style of training that pre-dated the delivery of nurse education in the higher education sector. The apprenticeship model was essentially premised on a belief that students of nursing learned by being exposed to the clinical environment, and being supported to learn on-the-job (Mannix, Faga, Beale, & Jackson, 2006). Because of this and despite the many dedicated nurse teachers who worked within hospital-based schools of nurs- ing, for many years, nurse education was barely problematised; nor was it the subject of particular debate, scrutiny or interrogation.The move to transfer nurse education raised the profile of nurse education as an issue for debate and discussion in the literature, and the transfer itself has been the catalyst for a strong and growing discourse on issues around nurse education. Several specialist journals focus on nurse education, and tend to embrace under- graduate, postgraduate and continuing edu- cational issues. Even general journals such as Contemporary Nurse attract quite a number of papers that focus on nurse education and related matters. However, despite the energies and focus on educational issues, concerns are still regularly raised about the nature and quality of nurse edu- cation (Jackson & Daly, 2008), particularly in the media (see for example Shaun, 2013; Van den Berg, 2011). In this editorial, we consider data-based papers recently published in the journal on undergraduate nurse education (see Table 1), contemplate some of the strengths and weaknesses of this combined discourse, and rec- ommend some ways forward.A total of 29 data-based papers with a focus on undergraduate nurse education were published in Contemporary Nurse between 2007-2012. Studies were from Australia (N = 16), Australia/UK (N = 1), Hong Kong (N= 1), Turkey (N= 3), New Zealand (N = 3), Iran (N = 1), Ireland (N = 2), Taiwan (N = 1) and USA (N = 1). The major- ity of studies were single-site (N = 24), with only five involving more than one research site. Almost half of the studies reported survey or question- naire data (N = 13), eight studies used qualitative approaches (e.g., ethnographic, Heideggerian, and data collection such as interviews, participant observation etc.), four were identified as mixed method studies, and four used other approaches (e.g., quasi-experimental, longitudinal, evaluative and review of model). The highest sample size for the survey/questionnaire was 605, and this was a multi-site study conducted in Australia, the lowest questionnaire sample size was 14 and this was a single-site study in Australia. Sample sizes for qualitative studies ranged from 6 (Australia) to 54 (New Zealand). Regarding the aims of the paper, these were diverse but more than one-third (N = 10) were directly related to students' clinical placements.Clinical learning in nursing, as a practice- based discipline, is a critical element of under- graduate education courses (Mannix, Wilkes, & Luck, 2009). Not surprisingly, clinical expe- riences of undergraduate students throughout their course continue to be an ongoing focus of research. Some of these papers (Grealish & Ranse, 2009; Happell & Gough, 2007; James & Chapman, 2009) focus on the experiences of students during their first clinical experience, either in the course or in a particular clinical setting. Final-year students' clinical experiences have been the focus of research around speciality clinical placements (Coyne & Needham, 2012), medication management (Honey & Lim, 2008), and the sense of belonging in the clinical setting (Levett-Jones, Lathlean, McMillan, & Higgins, 2007). Other research around clinical practicum has explored assertiveness levels among nursing students (Unal, Hisar, & Gorgulu, 2012), and interprofessional learning (Conway, 2009). The findings from this range of studies have informed educators and clinicians in the provision of undergraduate nurse education. …