A study of the teaching and learning of the biological sciences in nurse education.
TL;DR: The study was designed to explore the teaching and learning of the biological sciences in nurse education in an attempt to identify why some students are failing to support their practice with theory.
Abstract: The study was designed to explore the teaching and learning of the biological sciences in nurse education in an attempt to identify why some students are failing to support their practice with theory. Questionnaires were sent to third-year nurse students (n = 140) and nurse teachers (n = 43) in three schools of nursing. Several findings emerged from the study: (a) the balance between the behavioural and biological sciences in nurse education was perceived by the students as being too much in favour of the behavioural sciences; (b) the level of knowledge from the biological science taught was perceived by the students as being inappropriate for RGN training; (c) teachers felt inadequately prepared to teach the biological sciences and, similarly, nurse students felt inadequately prepared in these sciences; and (d) self-directed methods of teaching and learning, although used most frequently, were perceived by the students as being the most ineffective.
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TL;DR: The Self-Efficacy for Science was designed to predict academic performance in the science areas of a first-year undergraduate nursing course and revealed the SEFS contained six instead of the hypothesized four factors, which could explain 70% of students' self-efficacy for science.
Abstract: Nursing students have traditionally experienced difficulties with the science subjects in nursing curricula, and irrespective of the institution conducting a nursing programme, this trend appears to be continuing. A satisfactory means of predicting academic performance in these subjects will facilitate the development of educational strategies designed to assist students overcome their difficulties. In this study, an instrument called the Self-Efficacy for Science (SEFS) was developed and tested. The SEFS was designed to predict academic performance in the science areas of a first-year undergraduate nursing course. A cohort of first-year students enrolled in a bachelor of nursing course were surveyed by questionnaire. Students' academic scores for two first-year science subjects were obtained and used as the criterion measure for the study. Principal component factor analysis revealed the SEFS contained six instead of the hypothesized four factors. These six factors could explain 70% of students' self-efficacy for science. Cronbach alpha of the SEFS was 0.9. The SEFS could predict 24% of the cohort's academic performance in a physical science subject and 18.5% for a bioscience subject. Studying science in the final year at high school was not statistically significantly related to the SEFS. Implications for students and future research are discussed.
266 citations
TL;DR: Improved pharmacology teaching might increase nurses' confidence in performing drug administration, patient education, and nurse prescribing, and decrease anxieties related to these roles.
Abstract: Background. Pharmacology education in nursing has become increasingly important as nurses’ roles in administering, prescribing and educating patients about their medications have grown. Some authors have expressed concern at the lack of science teaching in nurse education, and others have suggested that there is a theory–practice gap in this area of the curriculum.
Aim. This paper reports a study to explore nurses’ pharmacology education needs by identifying nursing roles that require pharmacology knowledge, and nurses’ preparation for practice from preregistration pharmacology education.
Method. A qualitative approach was used to collect data from a purposive sample of 10 qualified nurses from an emergency admissions unit in a city in the north of England. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and categorized using Burnard's 14 stages.
Findings. This study revealed a limited understanding of the subject, and dissatisfaction with the teaching of pharmacology, with resulting anxiety on qualifying. Nursing roles identified as requiring pharmacology knowledge included drug administration, patient assessment, nurse prescribing, and patient medication education.
Conclusion. The findings suggest that, although nurses have a limited understanding of pharmacology, they recognize the need for pharmacology knowledge in practice. Improved pharmacology teaching might increase nurses’ confidence in performing drug administration, patient education, and nurse prescribing, and decrease anxieties related to these roles.
133 citations
TL;DR: The findings concur with others that the biosciences are a source of disproportionate difficulty and anxiety to nursing students and support for the suggestion that these problems could be reduced by a reallocation of curriculum time in favour of the biossciences is found.
115 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the situation further by comparing student perceptions with those of experienced practitioners and also evaluated the confidence of staff nurses in explaining the rationale for care applied to a common but specific disorder (influenza).
Abstract: Concerns have been expressed that bioscience education is not meeting the needs of nursing students in the UK. This paper explores the situation further by comparing student perceptions with those of experienced practitioners (Part One of the study) and also evaluates the confidence of staff nurses in explaining the rationale for care applied to a common but specific disorder (influenza; Part Two). Questionnaires were used. Responses were elicited from DipHE Nursing (Project 2000) adult/child branch students (n=153) from two universities and from adult/child care staff from their local clinical placements (n=171 in Part One of study; n=266 in Part Two). The questions asked followed two themes: (1) confidence in understanding biological science and (2) issues of teaching and learning. Most questions utilized a rating scale from 1 to 10; this scale provides no central value and a vertical line was drawn to encourage respondents to identify which half of the scale their responses came under (basically, a negative or positive viewpoint). The significance of the data distribution either side of the midline was analysed statistically (simple sign test), as were any differences in distribution between the groups (chi-square test). Median values were also determined. The data do not provide support for views that the biosciences are being significantly diminished by modern curricula, but also show no evidence for a great improvement in the bioscience knowledge base in recent years. What was surprising was the lack of confidence expressed by staff nurses: one illuminating finding was the lack of confidence in articulating their knowledge to patients and, even less so, to other health professionals. The paper reiterates a need for a national teaching and learning strategy for pre- and postregistration education in the biosciences. In particular, a means to raise the level of understanding of staff nurses must be identified urgently so that the mentoring of students in these subjects is improved.
108 citations
TL;DR: Current teaching and learning opportunities appear to be inadequate in their efforts to enhance and improve graduate nurses' pharmacology knowledge and these inadequacies need to be addressed if the ultimate goal of consolidating pharmacologyknowledge for graduate nurses is to optimise medication use, thereby improving the health outcomes of patients.
93 citations
Cites background or result from "A study of the teaching and learnin..."
...These findings, which concurred with the results of previous studies, may indicate deficiencies in curriculum design and teaching methods (Courtenay, 1991; Ives et al., 1996; Latter et al., 2000a; Manias, 1997)....
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...Studies have indicated a lack in the breadth and depth of pharmacology being taught to students in undergraduate nursing programs, and students feel inadequately prepared in their learning of this area (Akinsanya, 1987; Caon and Treagust, 1993; Courtenay, 1991)....
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...The value of emphasising pharmacology theory in the undergraduate curriculum has also been consistently promoted in the literature (Courtenay, 1991; Jordan and Hughes, 1998; Jordan and Potter, 1999; Manias, 1997; White, 1994)....
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TL;DR: The findings showed that the experimental groups did no better in the multiple choice objective tests or in the essays than the control groups but they did do significantly better inThe problem identification and planning for nursing intervention exercise and in the assessment of practical skills.
Abstract: The purpose of this experiment was to see if creative teaching methods would prove effective when included in a school of nursing teaching programme. This would be demonstrated by significant differences in levels of achievement in assessments and a demonstration that the knowledge gained was applied to the clinical situation. Didactic teaching methods were exchanged for a more creative approach without alteration of the course structure. The quasi experimental method was used, with four introductory courses of 20 nursing students at two separate district schools as the sample, two groups acting as the control groups and two as the experimental groups. The teaching sessions introduced medical problems associated with poor oxygenation, particularly those consequent to heart disease. The teaching was supported by appropriate care planning within the Roper et al. (1981) theoretical framework. Three distinct areas were identified; fact learning, e.g. anatomy and physiology, problem identifications and planning for nursing, intervention and skill learning. Students in the experimental groups were given work sheets and facilities for self learning whilst those in the control groups continued with a traditional lecture/demonstration format. The results of the experiment were evaluated by testing all four groups using multiple choice objective tests, essays, problem solving and nursing intervention exercises and practical assessments. The findings showed that the experimental groups did no better in the multiple choice objective tests or in the essays than the control groups but they did do significantly better in the problem identification and planning for nursing intervention exercise. In the assessment of practical skills there was no difference between the groups in skill performance but the experimental groups were able to apply the theory significantly better than the control groups.
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Journal Article•
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