Nursing Degree Course Research Articles

La pratica infermieristica basata sui modelli teorici: uno studio qualitativo sulla percezione degli Infermieri

Many faculty argue that theory and theorizing are closely related to the clinical practice, that the disciplinary knowledge grows, more relevantly, from the specific care context in which it takes place and, moreover, that knowledge does not proceed only by the application of general principles of the grand theories to specific cases. Every nurse, in fact, have a mental model, of what may or may not be aware, that motivate and substantiate every action and choice of career. The study describes what the nursing theoretical model is; the mental model and the tacit knowledge underlying it. It identifies the explicit theoretical model of the professional group that rapresents nursing partecipants, aspects of continuity with the theoretical model proposed by this degree course in Nursing.. Methods Four focus groups were made which were attended by a total of 22 nurses, rapresentatives of almost every Unit of Reggio Emilia Hospital's. We argue that the theoretical nursing model of each professional group is the result of tacit knowledge, which help to define the personal mental model, and the theoretical model, which explicitly underlying theoretical content learned applied consciously and reverted to / from nursing practice. Reasoning on the use of theory in practice has allowed us to give visibility to a theoretical model explicitly nursing authentically oriented to the needs of the person, in all its complexity in specific contexts.

Nursing competences and basic education: descriptive study on new-graduate nurses

The pressing need by the health organizations of new-graduate nurses immediately able to take full charge of the ward, together with the radical changes of nursing education, led the professional community to discuss the education of new-graduate nurses. To describe if new-graduate nurses at the Nursing Degree Course in Reggio Emilia, have the competences adequate to the demands of the health care organizations. Fifty ward Nursing Manager of a National health Service, where new-graduate nurses of the 2009-2010 academic year were emploied by at least one month were interviewed by phone. A list of 34 competences were identified and grouped into six skill areas (taking care, technical, managerial, communication, professional ethics, education and professional updating); for each, respondents had to rank the level of compentence on a Likert scale from 1 not able to 5 fully able. According to Nursing Managers new-graduate nurses are able to identify the patient care problems (mean score 4.1+0.8), to perform nursing techniques (mean score 4.4+0.7) and to meet the deadlines of the organizations (mean score 4.2+0.8). All Nursing Managers agree that new-graduate nurses have required skills and knowledge to work in their units. The level of expertise of by new-graduates in the areas investigated appears adequate to fulfill the role of nurse in health care organizations after a short period of coaching by a senior nurse.

Teaching evidence-based practice: Developing a curriculum model to foster evidence-based practice in undergraduate student nurses

For the nature of the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and its relevance to nursing, the skills that it requires should be a component in the basic Nursing degree courses. For this reason, the EBP process should be introduced early on in nursing education to develop students' independence and ability to self-learning. Aimthe aim of this study is to describe the perception that newly graduated nurses have relative to the benefits of the skills learned during the laboratory's three-year EBP in consideration of the construction of the thesis, the research of evidence and usefulness of the EBP process for the development of their professional career. MethodsA descriptive study with a sample of 300 newly graduated nurses from the Degree Course in Nursing of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, venue of Reggio Emilia. The data collection instrument was an anonymous questionnaire. It was possible to answer through a 10 Likert scale. ResultsThe sample considers effective the research of evidence carried out (mean 6, SD 2), related to the problems of patients (mean 7, SD 2); the sample considered the skills acquired during the laboratory's three-year EBP to be useful for career development (mean 7, SD 2). Conclusionsthe decision to include the laboratory's three-year EBP in the curriculum of the Nursing degree promotes the development of skills relating to the use of the EBP process, competence that in the literature is indicated as one of the core competencies that all health professionals should develop and maintain throughout their professional career.

Speaking a common language: improving access, recruitment and retention of BME students on degree Nursing courses

This study aimed to explore barriers and enhancers to access, recruitment and retention of students from BME groups on Nursing degree courses. It sought to provide insight, from the seldom heard, B...

Improved personal tutor contact with students is complete sense.

The news story, 'Personal tutor support from the start reduces student attrition' (September 12), makes complete sense, especially given the high levels of attrition from nursing degree courses.

Testing for emotional intelligence raises a number of key questions

Applicants for a nursing degree course at the University of Dundee are undergoing emotional intelligence tests as part of the selection process (news February 15).

Testing for emotional intelligence raises a number of key questions

Applicants for a nursing degree course at the University of Dundee are undergoing emotional intelligence tests as part of the selection process (news February 15).

Prospective nursing students tested for emotional intelligence

Candidates for a nursing degree course are undergoing a series of emotional intelligence tests as part of a university’s selection process.

‘With a bit of tweaking…we could be great’. An exploratory study of the perceptions of students on working with older people in a preregistration BSc (Hons) Nursing course

With ageing demographics, it is important that nurse education curriculum can prepare students to work with older people. To explore students' perceptions of working with older people and the extent to which their preregistration curriculum is preparing them for this role. A qualitative research design, incorporating focus groups in data collection. Four focus groups were held in January 2011, involving a total of 32 students undertaking a preregistration BSc (Hons) nursing degree course. An overt focus in the preregistration curriculum on acute and critical care and perceived deficits in care of older people content left some students feeling underprepared to work with older people and to challenge ritualistic practice. Clinical placement experience and mentor support appeared to be influencing students' decisions about whether they would consider working with older people in the future. Education providers should ensure that students are adequately prepared to work with older people and that students are supported when they observe poor practice. A finding that observation of ritualistic practice could prompt some students to consider working with older people, warrants further research. Implications for practice. Nurse educators should evaluate the content and delivery of their preregistration courses to ensure that the prerequisite knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work with older people are accorded appropriate value and attention.

Produção do conhecimento em enfermagem: contribuição de um curso de mestrado

The Master's Degree Course in Nursing of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) elaborated, implemented and evaluated dissertations during the last ten years. That makes necessary as objective the knowledge of this production, in systematized way, as an important step for process of course evaluation. The present study is identified as descriptive research of quantitative approach. It consists of documental analysis of 195 defended dissertations in Master's Degree Course on Nursing, in the period of January 1999 to January 2004. For data registration, an instrument has been elaborated in order to identify the variables of interest. The obtained data were analyzed through statistical measures. The results show that most of the dissertations are of qualitative approach, standing out the technological area of Health Care and there was predominant participation from the Nursing Team. Among the researched lines it stood out the following ones: The Process of Living; Be Healthy and Get Sick; Education, Health and Nursing. This study partially presented the construction of knowledge in the Master's Degree Course on Nursing at UFSC, demonstrating the importance in having view from the productions accomplished by this Department and observing the repercussion these researches in practice.

Nursing and competencies — a natural fit: the politics of skill /competency formation in nursing

The last two decades have seen a significant restructuring of work across Australia and other industrialised economies, a critical part of which has been the appearance of competency based education and assessment. The competency movement is about creating a more flexible and mobile labour force to increase productivity and it does so by redefining work as a set of transferable or 'soft' generic skills that is transportable and is the possession of the individual. This article sought to develop an analysis of competency based clinical assessment of nursing students across a bachelor of nursing degree course. This involved an examination of a total of 406 clinical assessment tools that covered the years 1992-2009 and the three years of a bachelor degree. Data analysis generated three analytical findings: the existence of a hierarchy of competencies that prioritises soft skills over intellectual and technical skills; the appearance of skills as personal qualities or individual attributes; and the absence of context in assessment. The article argues that the convergence in nursing of soft skills and the professionalisation project reform has seen the former give legitimacy to the enduring invisibility and devaluation of nursing work.

GREEK RENAL NURSES’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH

This study aims to assess how Greek renal nurses feel about death and examine any relationships between their attitudes and demographic factors. Descriptive quantitative study. The sample comprised of 49 nurses. Voluntary and anonymous completion of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised and a demographic questionnaire. 44 respondents were female and 5 were male with a mean age of 25.80 years. The mean nursing experience was 10.9 years. Nursing experience and age were the variables most likely to predict nurses' attitudes towards death. Nurses with specific education on palliative care had less difficulty talking about death and dying and did not have a fear of death. The Hospital-based teams (known as palliative care teams, supportive care teams or symptom assessment teams) had statistically significant different relationships with fear of death and neutral acceptance scores. It is recommended to include education on death and care of the dying in the nursing degree course in order for nurses who are giving terminal phase patient care to be better able deal with issues that death evolves.

Avaliação, por graduandos de enfermagem, de ambiente virtual de aprendizagem para ensino de fisiologia endócrina

OBJETIVO: Descrever a avaliação do Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem do TelEduc no ensino de Fisiologia Endócrina por graduandos de enfermagem de um Curso de Licenciatura em Enfermagem de uma universidade pública do interior do Estado de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, transversal com análise quantitativa de dados e com amostra de 44 alunos. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se um instrumento que contemplava aspectos pedagógicos do ambiente virtual de aprendizagem: conteúdo, interação e atividades e aspectos técnicos: tempo de resposta e qualidade da interface. RESULTADOS: Na avaliação dos alunos, os dados apontaram que, na maioria das respostas obtidas, foi explicitado o atendimento dos itens compreendidos nas seguintes características: conteúdo (84,0%), interação (83,2%), atividades (89,3%), tempo de resposta (94,0%) e qualidade da interface (95,8%). CONCLUSÃO: O ambiente virtual de aprendizagem do TelEduc mostrou-se uma ferramenta eficaz para apoiar o ensino de Fisiologia Endócrina.

I hope to prove age is no barrier to becoming a nurse

Nursing student Kelly Watson (reflections July 21) will be in her thirties when she qualifies, and she shows that age is no barrier to becoming a nurse. But if Kelly is a mature student, that makes me really old. I will be 53 next March, when Bangor University hopefully accepts me on its nursing degree course.

Caracterización de estudiantes de la carrera de licenciatura en enfermería y sus percepciones sobre el consumo de drogas lícitas e ilícitas

Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal. La población participante correspondió a 69 estudiantes que cursaban el quinto año de la carrera de Licenciatura en Enfermería. Se aplicó un cuestionario autoadministrado, previamente validado con estudiantes de enfermería que tenían características similares a los sujetos participantes. Este instrumento se dividió en cinco partes: información general, sociodemográfica, económica, personal, familiar y sociocultural. El estudio sugiere que el fenómeno de las drogas es multifactorial, está asociado a características sociodemográficas, económicas, personales, familiares y socioculturales. Entre las principales características del estudiantado están que es una carrera preponderantemente femenina, de clase media, con buen rendimiento académico, pero con inadecuados estilos de vida. Con relación al consumo de drogas, 44,9% ha consumido y consume actualmente bebidas alcohólicas, un porcentaje menor fuma cigarrillos y el 1,4% fuma marihuana; además, no existe una conciencia clara de las consecuencias y conductas de riesgo a las que están expuestos al realizar dichas prácticas.

Caracterización de estudiantes de la carrera de enfermería sobre consumo de drogas lícitas e ilícitas

Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal que buscó caracterizar el uso de drogas entre estudiantes del segundo año de la carrera de Licenciatura en Enfermería. Se aplicó un cuestionario autoadministrado a 119 estudiantes, el que se dividió en información: general, sociodemográfica, económica, personal, familiar, sociocultural y, sobre el consumo de drogas. El estudio evidenció que los estudiantes poseen factores protectores para la prevención del consumo o el avance del uso problemático de drogas; pero, por otro lado poseen también factores de riesgo importantes que deben ser tomados en cuenta en programas de prevención, por ejemplo: estilos de vida no saludables, consumo de drogas de personas cercanas a ellos (familiares, amigos o compañeros). A pesar de que el alcohol y tabaco ocupan el primer lugar de consumo, tanto en el entorno inmediato del grupo de estudiantes seleccionados como en el ámbito nacional, ellos no lo consideran un problema tan grande si comparado con las drogas ilícitas.

Studying + work = disaster

When Margaret recently took up her place on a nursing degree course at her local university, she calculated she would have to carry on doing some form of job to make ends meet. Margaret’s parents were already supporting her older brother through his degree, and it was not possible for the family to stretch their finances any further. So like many student nurses, Margaret took up a couple of part-time jobs; one as a barmaid in a local pub, the other as a cleaner.

Voting with their feet

The number of English students applying for nursing degree courses in Wales has more than tripled since 2003, and it would not take Inspector Morse to discover the reason. Nursing has been an all-degree profession in Wales since 2004. Degree students there receive a non-means tested bursary of £6,372 a year. In England this is only available to diploma students. So if you live in England and want a degree, you will be treated like any other higher education student – unless you are successful in getting a means tested bursary.

The Management of a Multigenerational Nursing Team With Differing Qualifications

Retiring age is no longer fixed at 39 years of working service by Italian law, so nurses with more than 40 years of service continue to work in the wards, creating a distinct older generation. Moreover, with the closure of nursing colleges and the introduction of university degree courses for nurses, nursing education has changed significantly. This article reports on a study which explored the experiences of chief nurses in the daily management of nursing teams composed of multigenerational nurses who differed in age and qualifications. Husserls' phenomenologic approach was used, interviewing at length a purposeful sample of 10 chief nurses. Five main areas of concern emerged: (a) The generation gaps between peers and team leaders; (b) nomadism versus being settled; (c) conflicting methods of working which result in nothing being accomplished: managing the "flat paradox"; (d) different nursing values, ideals, and visions; and (e) existing generation gaps with the younger staff. The number of younger nurses will increase with time and, as a consequence, the relevance of intergenerational differences must be seriously debated, not only difficulties with age differences but also those relating to nursing education.

The process of integration of schools of nursing into higher education

Before 1989, with the exception of a small number of nursing degree courses, most of nursing education within England was located within the NHS. Yet by 1995, all schools of nursing had been integrated into higher education institutions. Despite the significance of this change, there has been little discussion or empirical research within the nursing press about the way it happened or the experiences of the individuals involved. The aims of this paper are: The design was qualitative and the methods used were policy analysis and interviews. Interviews were conducted with a national, purposive sample of 30 senior individuals involved in healthcare education in the late 1990s selected from higher education institutions, national and regional offices of the Department of Health and professional bodies. A number of key lessons can be learned for contemporary nurse education. Notably: the need for clarity of policy aims; the value of sensitivity to the culture in which change is taking place; the importance of ensuring that the key individuals involved have the skills to make effective change and the need to share good practice in change management.