Getting it right? An exploration of issues relating to the biological sciences in nurse education and nursing practice.
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.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: A study of how ward-based staff use vital signs and the Early Warning Score to package physiological deterioration effectively to ensure successful referral to doctors, leading to successful referral of patients by providing an agreed framework for assessment.
Abstract: Aim. The aim of this paper is to present a study of how ward-based staff use vital signs and the Early Warning Score to package physiological deterioration effectively to ensure successful referral to doctors.
Background. The literature tends to emphasize the identification of premonitory signs in predicting physiological deterioration. However, these signs lack sensitivity and specificity, and there is evidence that nurses rely on subjective and subtle indicators. The Early Warning Score was developed for the early detection of deterioration and has been widely implemented, with various modifications.
Method. The data reported here form part of a larger study investigating the practical problems faced by general ward staff in detecting physiological deterioration. During 2002, interviews and observations were carried out using a grounded theory approach, and a total of 44 participants were interviewed (30 nurses, 7 doctors and 7 healthcare support workers).
Findings. Participants reported that quantifiable evidence is the most effective means of referring patients to doctors, and the Early Warning Score achieves this by improving communication between professionals. Rather than reporting changes in individual vital signs, the Early Warning Score effectively packages them together, resulting in a much more convincing referral. It gives nurses a precise, concise and unambiguous means of communicating deterioration, and confidence in using medical language. Thus, nurses are empowered and doctors can focus quickly on identified problems.
Conclusion. The Early Warning Score leads to successful referral of patients by providing an agreed framework for assessment, increasing confidence in the use of medical language and empowering nurses. It is essential that nurses and nursing students are supported in its use and in developing confidence in using medical language by continued emphasis on physiology and pathophysiology in the nursing curriculum.
192 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 use of facilitatory approaches to teaching and learning should be encouraged to assist the development of problem solving, decision making skills and creative and critical thinking in nurses, particularly those studying on competency-based education and training courses and programmes.
95 citations
TL;DR: Investigating the perceptions of 184 nursing students and nurse educators in relation to bioscience in the nursing curriculum suggested that some nurse educators and clinical preceptors may not have sufficient science background or bioscience knowledge, to help nursing students apply bios science knowledge to practice.
Abstract: This study used a curriculum inquiry framework to investigate the perceptions of 184 nursing students and nurse educators in relation to bioscience in the nursing curriculum. These participants’ attitudes to science and bioscience, self-efficacy in bioscience and perceptions of bioscience were investigated using scales based on previous research. Nursing students were found to have significantly more positive attitudes to bioscience in nursing education than nurse educators, and nurse educators were not found to have significantly better self-efficacy in bioscience than the students, although this might have been expected. The results of focus group discussions, used to investigate this in more depth, suggested that some nurse educators and clinical preceptors may not have sufficient science background or bioscience knowledge, to help nursing students apply bioscience knowledge to practice. As a result of this, it is suggested that the aims of the intended and prescribed nursing curricula are not being fulfilled in the implemented curriculum. Because of the increasing acuity of illness in hospitals, the fact that nurses are becoming more autonomous in their practice and the increasing expectation that nurses, in some cases, will be able to prescribe as well as administer medications, bioscience knowledge is becoming even more important. The teaching of bioscience and its application to clinical practice needs to improve if nurses are to be credible members of the multi-disciplinary team.
92 citations
TL;DR: A case study was undertaken to determine whether the nurses entering Prescriber programmes considered studies in bioscience in their pre-registration nursing courses had been sufficient, linked to practice, and had prepared them for their roles as registered nurses.
88 citations
References
More filters
Book•
01 Jan 1956
TL;DR: This is the revision of the classic text in the field, adding two new chapters and thoroughly updating all others as discussed by the authors, and the original structure is retained, and the book continues to serve as a combined text/reference.
Abstract: This is the revision of the classic text in the field, adding two new chapters and thoroughly updating all others. The original structure is retained, and the book continues to serve as a combined text/reference.
35,552 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1976
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a comprehensive treatment of the scientific approach to research within the context of the social sciences, emphasizing the relationship between theory, research, and practice, leading students through seven major, interrelated stages of research methods: definition of the research problem, statement of hypothesis, research design, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and generalization.
Abstract: This acclaimed text offers a comprehensive, systematic treatment of the scientific approach to research within the context of the social sciences. Emphasizing the relationship between theory, research, and practice, the book leads students through seven major, interrelated stages of research methods: definition of the research problem, statement of hypothesis, research design, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and generalization. Research activities are integrated throughout to get students actively involved in the real work of social science research. With its self-contained yet integrated chapters, the text adapts well to either a basic methods course, or a course that covers methods and statistics sequentially. The new edition has been thoroughly updated and revised, and is designed to help students take full advantage of the Internet and other electronic data sources plus the most current statistical software.
4,570 citations
TL;DR: The findings are that, of the sample used, reflection-in-action is present extensively in the form of description and of planning of actions, but to a much lesser extent in the area of recognition of value judgements and the areas of reflection- in-action leading to learning taking place.
Abstract: This work is a study of eight practising registered nurses and their use of reflection-in-action in their everyday work. Schon's work on reflection-in-action forms the theoretical basis, and the research tool uses the work of Mezirow and Lazzara's use of Colaizzi's reduction. The findings are that, of the sample used, reflection-in-action is present extensively in the form of description and of planning of actions, but to a much lesser extent in the area of recognition of value judgements and the areas of reflection-in-action leading to learning taking place. Where these were present, albeit in small quantities, they were almost exclusively confined to the community nurses and the nurse practitioner. The tool also helped determine whether or not practice was founded on the use of nursing research and/or that of other disciplines. In the nurses studied here, this was somewhat erratic. With changes in technology, social and environmental changes, and the advancement of nursing and social science research, it is important for registered nurses to be able to both learn from their everyday work and use knowledge from nursing and other disciplines in this, rather than, as is demonstrated here, separate theory from practice and be relatively unable to learn from their work. In view of the changes presently proposed in nurse education, this work has implications for nurse educators as well as for practising nurses.
236 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the United Kingdom central council for nursing, midwifery and health visiting have published a survey of the state of the art in the UK. Representation: Vol. 23, No. 93, pp. 46-47.
Abstract: (1983). United Kingdom central council for nursing, midwifery and health visiting. Representation: Vol. 23, No. 93, pp. 46-47.
234 citations
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.
90 citations