Rene Day

A comparison of competencies between problem-based learning and non-problem-based graduate nurses.

Competence is essential to ensuring safe, ethical and legal nursing practice. Various teaching strategies are used in nursing education in an effort to enhance graduate competence by bridging the gap between theory learned in the classroom and professional practice as a nurse. The objective of this comparative descriptive research was to determine if there was a difference in self reported competence between graduates from PBL and non PBL (NPBL) nursing programs. A convenience sample of 121 graduate nurses in one Canadian province, who had been practicing for at least 6 months took part in the study. The researcher designed questionnaire included both forced choice and open ended questions. There was no statistical significance difference between the PBL and NPBL graduates on self reported entry-to-practice competence. However, several significant themes did emerge from the answers to open ended questions which asked graduates how their nursing programs prepared them to meet the entry-to-practice competencies and what program improvements they might suggest. Unlike the NPBL graduates, the PBL graduates identified the structure and process of their programs as instrumental in their preparation to meet the entry-to-practice competencies. PBL graduates associated their abilities to think critically and engage in self-directed evidence-based practice as key to enabling them to meet the competencies. A common theme for program improvement for both PBL and NPBL graduates was a request for more clinical time.

Professional socialization: students becoming nurses

Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in São Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in Sao Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.

An Inventory of Nursing Education Research

Purpose: To describe nursing education research literature in terms of quality, content areas under investigation, geographic location of the research, research designs utilized, sample sizes, instruments used to collect data, and funding sources.Design and Methods: Quantitative and qualitative research literature published between January 1991 and December 2000 were identified and classified using an author-generated Relevance Tool.Findings: 1286 articles were accepted and entered into the inventory, and an additional 22 were retained as references as they were either literature reviews or meta-analyses. Not surprisingly, 90% of nursing education research was generated in North America and Europe, the industrialised parts of the world. Of the total number of articles accepted into the inventory, 61% were quantitative research based. The bulk of the research was conducted within the confines of a course or within a program, with more than half based in educational settings. Sample sizes of the research conducted were diverse, with a bare majority using a sample between 50 and 99 participants. More than half of the studies used questionnaires to obtain data. Surprising, 80% of the research represented in these articles was not funded. The number of publications of nursing education research generated yearly stabilised at approximately 120 per year.Conclusion: Research programs on teaching and learning environments and practice in nursing education need to be developed. Lobbying is needed to increase funding for this type of research at national and international levels.

Preparing health science students to be effective health care team members: the InterProfessional Initiative at the University of Alberta

The InterProfessional Initiative at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, provides learning strategies to be effective health care team members for over 800 undergraduate students in 14 health professions. This paper traces the evolution of the initiative over the past decade and describes future directions. Particular attention is given to the administrative and academic structures and processes required to launch, develop and sustain an initiative of this scale in a major research-intensive university. The paper concludes by reviewing the evaluative work underway and reflecting on the key success factors.

Socialización profesional: estudiantes volviéndose enfermeros

Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in São Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in Sao Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.

Socialização profissional: estudantes tornando-se enfermeiros

Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in São Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.Usually colleges are evaluated by the quality of the knowledge and technical training offered to the students. Little attention is given to the acquisition of the values, behaviors and attitudes necessary to assume their professional role. This exploratory study aims to increase understanding of the professional socialization process that occurs at nursing schools and the results obtained through the socialization of professional values and standards. The educational experience of nursing students involves more than a body of scientific knowledge and the acquisition of abilities to provide care to patients. Questionnaires were filled out by 278 students of two public Nursing Schools in Sao Paulo state, 164 in school A and 114 in school B. The results indicated that some professional values, norms and behaviors are influenced by College years, studying at a College of Nursing during four years leads to a difference in values, norms and professional behavior.