Learning Needs of Nursing Students to Study English for Nursing Purposes (ENP)

Abstract

Although various needs analyses on English for Nursing Purposes (ENP) have been conducted in previous scholarly work, they simply focused on the target needs and neglected the other type of need, which is equally important: the learning needs. This study sought to examine the learning needs of nursing students at Health Polytechnic Kendari. Thirty-seven nursing students in their second year of study were voluntarily recruited to participate in this study. Using a descriptive research design, this study described the learning needs of ENP students regarding their learning methods, modes of receiving material, and preferences for classroom activities and ways of learning. It was revealed that the students voiced their desire to learn in groups, either large groups or small groups. These students wanted to learn the content by listening, listening and speaking, reading, and problem solving. In addition, they favor such classroom activities as role play, discussion, memorizing conversations, and translating English-written nursing materials. These findings suggest a serious need for the students to engage in cooperative and active learning. The implications of this study for pedagogical practices are shown.