Identifying Core Learning Needs for English for Nursing Purposes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the core learning needs being met from English exercises that are most helpful for Taiwanese nursing preprofessionals and in-service full-time nurses. The study focuses on the learning exercises that are most useful in the workplace, lists the five exercises used most and least frequently in school, compares exercises in terms of different proficiency levels, and refines the most important training components as common core learning needs for preprofessionals and in-service nurses. Subjects were randomly selected, and 60 female nursing majors were surveyed in a questionnaire about 18 learning exercises most teachers use in the classroom. Data was interpreted using a one-way analysis of variance. Then an a posteriori comparison was performed for those items reaching significance to gather advanced information on where the significance originates from. Based on the findings, the following common core learning needs have been identified: cultural notes for nursing, building medical vocabulary, and short expressions and medical information. The intended result of this study is to apply general English exercises such as vocabulary introduction, sentence patterns, and situational expressions to English for medical purposes exercises such as cultural notes for nursing, improving medical vocabulary, and reading medical journals for the benefit of both English for nursing purposes teachers and learners.