Identifying student knowledge and perception of what is valuable to professional practice: A mixed method study

Abstract

Bachelor of Nursing programmes are designed to prepare Registered Nurses for professional practice. The Bachelor of Nursing curriculum under discussion was shaped by the conceptual framework of primary health care philosophy, including themes of social justice, Indigenous health, caring philosophy, and the advancement of the discipline through research, scholarship and application of nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice. This study was designed to identify what students and graduates found valuable in a Bachelor of Nursing curriculum conceptual framework and what value they placed on a conceptual framework and underpinning themes. A small study was designed to identify the student perceptions of themes which may be valuable to the new curriculum of the Bachelor of Nursing. A mixed methodology was selected as being appropriate to allow students to indicate the value that previous and completing students placed on each of these items and to explore their perceptions. The setting for this small study was a regional university in NSW, Australia. Previous and completing (final year) students were invited to complete the online survey and any who were willing to be interviewed were asked to provide their contact details. The research was conducted via a questionnaire through Survey Monkey, using a Likert scale and open responses and follow up interviews were conducted with willing participants. A total of 128 responses to the survey were received and ten were interviewed. Overall responses were positive. Students were aware of and valued all aspects of the current and proposed conceptual framework. There were some themes; however which were better understood than others. The majority of graduated students indicated that they were well prepared for the workforce. All aspects of the conceptual framework of the curriculum were valued by the majority of students.