Enhancing student understanding of nursing inherent requirements using assessment for learning

Abstract

ProblemWhere misperceptions and a lack of understanding of the realities of the Nursing profession exist, this can result in students entering into Nursing degrees without understanding the academic knowledge, behavioural and physical attributes and other inherent requirements necessary to undertake and succeed in their studies and subsequent career. QuestionCan an ‘Assessment for Learning’ approach result in enhanced student understanding of inherent requirements and their relationship to registered nurse attributes? MethodsThis interpretive study analysed students’ written reflections on two Bachelor of Nursing inherent requirement statements using latent content analysis. Purposive sampling of all 165 students enrolled in an introductory professional nursing unit was undertaken with 162 (98.2%) consenting to provide demographic data and have their reflections analysed following completion of their unit. FindingsFour themes were identified: Eye opening, responding to self-examination, setting goals and effecting change, and affirming beliefs and attributes. DiscussionAnalysis of the students’ reflections on the nursing inherent requirements showed they exhibited enhanced awareness, understanding and acknowledgement of personal areas to be addressed, as well as goal setting and the beginnings of acculturation and movement along the pre-professional identity to professional identity continuum. ConclusionAn assessment for learning approach enhanced beginning students understanding of requirements inherent in undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing degree, enabling them to set goals for their development as they linked the BNIRs to the attributes required of a registered nurse.