A survey of the teaching and learning of biological sciences on undergraduate nursing courses

Curriculum planners developing degree courses in nursing have to decide how much time to allocate to each of the academic disciplines including biological sciences. There is no research-based evidence to suggest what depth and detail of knowledge of biological sciences is required to support nursing practice. There is also some debate about the teaching methods used and who should teach the biological sciences. This paper reports the results of a small survey investigating the teaching of biological sciences on 16 nursing degree courses in the UK. The survey uncovered great variation in the number of hours spent on biological sciences in the different universities and in the science entry requirements of the different universities. Most teachers of biological sciences had a first degree in the subject but few were nurses. The possible implications of these findings are discussed. Problems associated with shared learning and didactic teaching methods are also highlighted. Although the biological sciences input will largely be a matter of institutional preferences, nursing needs to develop a research-based framework to aid curriculum planning.     

Nurse prescribing: implications for the life sciences in nursing curricula

The development of new roles, over recent years, for health care professionals, has meant that the boundaries between the different occupations are no longer as clear as they were in the past. For example, the reduction in junior doctors' hours in the United Kingdom (UK), has meant that nurses have had the opportunity to expand their practice into a variety of areas which were once exclusively the responsibility of doctors. One area in which nurses (in the UK) have expanded their practice is prescribing. This paper commences with an overview of the development of nurse prescribing and highlights the important role of the life sciences in the education and training of nurse prescribers. The major findings from studies examining the teaching and learning of these sciences in nursing curricula are presented, and the implications for post-qualifying courses enabling nurses to prescribe, and pre-registration nurse education programmes are discussed.     

Educational achievement of nurses who completed the nursing education and the nursing administration certificate courses of the Department of Nursing Studies, University of Edinburgh, 1958–1975

This paper describes the educational activity of a group of 149 nurse teachers and administrators following completion of the nursing education and nursing administration certificate courses of the University of Edinburgh (1958-1975). The data were obtained by a postal questionnaire and three particular types of courses reported by the respondents are discussed. Emphasis is given to the analysis involving degree courses as this was a prominent educational activity, especially among nurse teachers. The conclusion discusses the potential of an all graduate nurse teacher group and suggests some implications for the nursing profession.     

Are undergraduate nurses taught palliative care during their training?

Over 90% of hospital beds are occupied by patients with a chronic life threatening illness and many of these patients require palliative care. Nurses have an important role in the provision of palliative care and this paper reports a study aimed at finding how much teaching is given in palliative care during undergraduate nurse training. A short questionnaire containing open questions and inviting further comments was sent to senior tutors co-ordinating entry level degree and diploma nursing courses as listed in NABMS and UCAS handbooks. One hundred and eight questionnaires were sent and the overall response rate was 40% with approximately equal numbers of diploma and degree courses responding. Diploma students received a mean of 7.8h (range: 2-26h) and degree students 12.2h (range: 3 to 42 hours) of teaching in palliative care, compared to the mean of 20h teaching offered to undergraduate medical students in the UK. Teaching was mainly theoretical and rarely formally assessed. Tutors identified the lack of suitably skilled staff to teach palliative care and the shortage of placements for nursing students within a palliative care setting as particular difficulties. The need for nurses who are skilled in the principles of palliative care will increase with the recognition of application of palliative care to non-oncology patients. This paper suggests it is important that all nurses are given some teaching in this area.     

The social body and the biomechanical body: can they coexist in nurse education?*

The curricula of tertiary nursing courses usually involve a number of complementary strands These include biological sciences, social sciences, behavioural sciences, other support subjects and clinical units These different strands each, to some extent, present the nursing student with a dilemma as they may present entirely different models of the body Explorations of this dilemma show that students are also being presented with different models of illness and different conceptions of appropriate health care response to illness The question is then raised as to which of these approaches most accurately reflects the realities of nursing practice     

Women in-between' (Strathern, 1995): the ambiguous position of the sister tutor, 1918-1960

The purpose of this article is to explore the ambiguous position of sister tutors, within the nursing and hospital hierarchy between 1918 and 1960. The function of the sister tutor was to train the probationers (student nurses). However, I will argue that the students' education was to come second to the service needs of the hospital, the authority of the matron and desire of the medical profession to maintain control over the nursing curriculum and nursing practice. Therefore sister tutors were caught 'in-between' several opposing forces which together militated against the individual sister tutor's work and the ability of the nursing profession to recruit adequate numbers of senior nurses into the classroom. The recruitment issue was further hampered by the widespread knowledge that much of the sister tutor's work was not student education at all, but organising lectures by medical staff and marking students' notes. In order to gauge the 'official' attitudes to the sister tutors and also the experiences of those who either worked as sister tutors or were taught by them, I used both archival and oral evidence in the research for this article. Pseudonyms have been used throughout for the oral history respondents.     

中美护理本科人文社会科学课程设置的比较研究

目的通过对中国与美国护理本科人文社会科学课程设置的比较研究,为我国护理本科人文社会科学课程设置提供参考依据。方法采用横向比较研究法对中国和美国各18所护理院校的全日制护理本科人文社会科学课程进行比较研究。结果中国护理本科人文社会科学必修课学时数占教学计划总学时数的比例高于美国,限选课学时数所占比例低于美国,以上差别均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;人文社会科学课程总学时数所占比例,中美两国院校之间的差别无统计学意义（P〉0.05）;美国人文社会科学课程的类型以学科课程为主,兼有综合课程,我国基本均为学科课程;美国人文社会科学必修课和限选课的科目有较为明确的区分,中国必修课和限选课的科目没有明确的区分。结论中国护理本科院校在人文社会科学课程设置的进一步改革中,应对该类课程的设置方案进行整体优化,在课程类型方面,应研究和开发综合课程,在课程开设形式上,应明确必修课和限选课各自的科目,使两者有机结合。     

'I don't want to be a psychiatric nurse': an exploration of factors inhibiting recruitment to psychiatric nursing in Ireland

Ireland has experienced a decline in recruitment to preregistration psychiatric nursing programmes (An Bord Altranais 1999). Social care workers often do similar psychosocial work with similar client groups served by psychiatric nurses. In marked contrast to psychiatric nursing, Irish social care diplomate and degree programmes are generally over subscribed. Yet graduates working in social care often experience inferiority in terms of pay, conditions and career structure compared to their psychiatric nursing counterparts (McElwee 1998). The question that therefore needs to be asked is why school leavers opt for such courses in preference to psychiatric nursing. This article describes the results of a pilot study, utilizing a focus group approach, to examine reasons for course and career choice among school leavers, psychiatric nursing students and social care students. Results indicate that school students rely on stereotypical views as part of their decisionmaking process in shaping occupational decisions. School students tend to conceptualize psychiatric nursing as being a job involving menial and physical tasks. Social care students saw psychiatric nursing as lacking autonomy and to be institutional in nature. Psychiatric nursing students themselves felt exploited and 'second class' compared to general nurses. Current recruitment campaigns and careers guidance within schools need to be more targeted on differentiating psychiatric nursing from its general nursing counterpart.     

Formal teaching about death and dying in UK nursing schools

This article reports the findings of a short questionnaire survey of UK nursing schools conducted in May 1984. Only basic SRN/RGN and SEN/EN courses and nursing degree courses were surveyed. All respondents provided formal instruction about death and dying. Those who evaluated their teaching were most likely to be positive about its effects. The main reservations expressed related to the differences between ‘in school’ and ward experiences.     

我国护理专业本科人文社会科学课程设置方案的构建

目的构建我国护理专业本科人文社会科学课程设置方案，为我国该类课程的设置提供客观依据。方法采用文献研究、理论研究、调查研究、优序图法对该类课程设置方案的构建进行研究。结果建立了我国护理专业本科人文社会科学课程设置方案，该方案包含课程的类别、名称、开设学期、学时、开设形式，方案中包括必修课12门，限选课10门，由国家教育部规定课程、人文社会科学核心课程、人文社会科学限选课程模块3部分组成。结论该课程设置方案的建立，将会对国内高等护理院校同类课程设置的改革起到一定借鉴作用，从而对培养适应社会需求的综合型护理人才发挥积极作用。     

The future of nursing: career choices in potential student nurses

Young people leaving schools and sixth-form colleges have the opportunity to choose a career path from an increasing number of courses in colleges of further and higher education. Nursing studies are now competing with a range of health-related disciplines such as health studies, psychology and complementary therapy. Compared with nursing studies, many of these courses appear more exciting and appealing to students who are in the process of choosing a career or programme of study. While the increased choice is a positive move for students, it may contribute to the shortage of students currently entering some areas of nursing. Indeed, some specialties in nursing, including mental health and learning disabilities, are so depleted in students that they are reaching a point of crisis. There is also concern that recruitment into nursing remains predominately female and white British. Given the diversity of the UK population and the reliance on school leavers as a potential source of supply, it is important to understand why male students and those from multiracial and multicultural environments choose, or do not choose, nursing studies. This research study involved a sample of 106 16-year-old students from three secondary schools in the north-west and south-east of England. The questionnaire results, collected in schools, revealed that students held traditional views or knew very little about the nursing profession.     

Historical, cultural, and contemporary influences on the status of women in nursing in Saudi Arabia

Global nursing shortages have necessitated closer scrutiny of recruitment and retention initiatives of nurses both locally and internationally. For many decades the nursing workforce of Saudi Arabia has relied on international expatriates to be the backbone of the industry. In recent years however, Saudi women have been recruited into nursing preparation courses conducted at degree level. The many twists and turns of providing a local Saudi Arabian nursing workforce has paralleled Saudi's own history and this paper follows that journey. Our research has enabled us to provide some insights into nursing pre and post the enlightenment that accompanied the Prophet Mohammed's influence. We emphasize the influences of women leaders who emerged in Mohammed's time and bring lasting authority to the development of nursing in Saudi Arabia. The cultural issues that bind women in this society are explicated and related to recruitment and retention issues in nursing. Education matters, both past and present, are highlighted emphasizing the gains that nursing as a distinct occupation has made. Finally the paper concludes with a summation of contemporary achievements in Saudi Arabia moving nursing towards the much needed professional status and parity with other careers in health care.     

师生不同视角下危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生学习方法研究

目的基于导师与研究生不同视角,探讨危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生的最佳学习方法,为研究生的教与学工作提供依据。方法经过查阅文献、相关规范文件,在“危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生学习内容专家函询问卷”基础上,拟定“危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生学习方法”调查问卷,采用方便抽样法选取120名危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生导师、121名危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生作答此问卷,比较导师与研究生不同视角下的最佳学习方法。结果(1)导师建议的学习方法包括自学(18.2%)、课堂讲授(15.1%)、临床查房(13.5%)等;研究生选择的学习方法包括课堂讲授(20.3%)、临床查房(16.7%)、新媒体(13.7%)等。(2)师生在公共理论、科研方法等学习内容对应的学习方法的选择差异明显(P<0.05)。结论无论对于导师还是危重症护理硕士专业学位研究生,教与学的方法多样且存在差异。导师应根据具体学习内容灵活选择教的方法,特别是新媒体技术的应用,并创新课堂讲授形式,开展“对话式”教学,注重引导学生提高自学能力;学生则应根据具体学习内容灵活选择多种学的方法,注重提高自主学习的能力。     

中英部分护理院校大专护理教育课程比较研究

本研究对5所中国高等卫生专科学校和1所英国护理院校大专护理教育课程进行比较,分析课程设置、教学内容、教学方法、考核方式的异同点,结果显示:英国不同专业方向学生选修不同课程,在儿科、人文、研究、临床实践等教学内容上存在差异,实践课学时比例高,理论课与实践课学时比为1:1,注重多种教学方法的综合运用,注重过程考核与总结性考核相结合,对中国高职院校课程设置有一定启示。     

护理学研究生教育设置专业学位的调查研究

目的调查医院护理管理者及本科护士对设置护理学研究生专业学位的态度和需求。方法采用问卷调查结合访谈法,对北京大学12家附属及教学医院的20名护理部主任和(或)副主任、32名副主任护师及371名具有本科学历的护士进行调查。结果90%以上的护理部主任和(或)副主任、副主任护师及80%的本科护士认为有必要开设专业学位护理研究生教育。他们认为应优先设置的专业为重症监护、急救护理、糖尿病护理、肿瘤护理等,认为应该培养的能力是科研能力、专科知识和技能、教学能力和管理能力,认为临床导师有待提高科研能力、教学能力和专科知识与技能。结论在我国有必要开设专业学位护理研究生教育,需要充分利用学院导师与临床导师相结合的优势,共同培养专业学位硕士研究生。     

A comparison of the career aspirations of degree and P2000 diploma graduates from UK nursing programmes

AIM: This paper reports the findings from a study of career aspirations undertaken as part of a larger study on the graduate outcomes of two different preregistration nursing educational programmes in the UK. METHODS: A self-completion questionnaire was administered to 52 degree graduates and 28 diplomates from two Universities on completion of their course. FINDINGS: The findings suggest that while graduates appeared more definite over their long-term career goals, diplomates were more confident in their initial decision to enter the nursing profession. All respondents showed a marked tendency towards hospital-based clinical posts on graduation. Degree graduates displayed a greater interest in working overseas, nominating a far broader range of possible destinations and expressed interest in a wider range of further education courses, including Master's and PhD degrees. CONCLUSIONS: The career aspirations of degree graduates and diplomates revealed in this study highlight a number of issues with implications for workforce planning, recruitment and retainment. Further larger scale longitudinal research is warranted.     

我国护理专业学位硕士培养现状的调查与分析

目的:了解我国护理专业学位研究生培养状况,为开展老年护理专业学位研究生培养方案的构建提供依据。方法:以能力本位理论为理论基础,采用自编问卷以方便抽样方法,对全国15所高校的84名护理专业学位研究生和26名护理研究生导师进行问卷调查。结果:调查对象中,88.1%护理专业学位研究生和96.2%的护理研究生导师认为护理研究生在临床实践中最应具备的能力是护理专科技能,84.5%护理专业学位研究生和88.5%导师认为其次是沟通与协调能力;护理专业学位研究生和导师在临床实践期间应具备的主要素质中选择专业素质、人文关怀、思想道德分别占比94.1%、90.5%、86.9%和100%、100%、100%;仅有26.2%的护理专业硕士希望将来从事临床高级护理实践工作;有9.5%的护理专业学位研究生有专职的临床指导医生。结论:护理专业学位研究生应该重视思想道德、人文关怀方面的培养,在临床护理实践中要着重培养学生的专科技能和沟通与协调能力,具备条件的医院要配备专门的高水平临床指导教师以提高学生专科技能,做到专业技能和人文关怀同步发展。     

Care to be a nurse? Reflections on a radio broadcast and its ramifications for nursing today

Nursing education in the UK has lagged behind most of the developed world since inception of Project 2000 because in England, a diploma has been accepted as the basis for education, unlike other countries (including Scotland and Wales) a degree has been the accepted standard for many years. While Australia's nursing education has been more protected, an anti-intellectualism is creeping in with a technical college now offering a nursing degree, and some universities lowering their admission standards for nursing courses. Changes in the UK being imposed through the influence of the global financial crisis threaten nursing even further and this is not helped by short sighted media reports of problems with nursing care in the National Health Service. This paper examines the continuing devaluing of critical thinking, something that we contend, with the strongest emphasis, should be at the core of every aspect of nursing practice, education and research., and implications for nursing in both the UK and Australia.     

Biological sciences and the nursing curriculum: a challenge for educationalists

In recent years there has been considerable emphasis on the social and behavioural sciences in the nursing curriculum, with a corresponding tendency to devalue the role of the biological sciences This paper argues the case for the biological sciences as being essential to the development of 'intelligent practitioners' and the progress of nursing The notion of 'intelligent practice' is discussed against the background of a historical perspective which seeks to present a brief comparison of the traditional expectations of nursing practice with those for practice in the future It is suggested that the application to nursing practice of relevant knowledge from the biological sciences is central to skilful practice and a 'caring' philosophy Without such knowledge, nurses are unable to deliver safe, high-quality care and, in addition,'handmaiden status' is perpetuated In the past, the biological science component of the nursing curriculum was derived from medicine and the biomedical model its teaching was, largely, inadequate and ineffective If knowledge of biological science is crucial to 'intelligent practice' then there is an urgent need to review how this knowledge is structured and taught in the nursing curriculum The conceptual model of 'bionursing' is suggested as a possible framework for developing a new approach to the structuring and teaching of biological sciences in the curriculum Finally, consideration of biological sciences as an educational task, and the challenge of implementing a coherent, structured curriculum, are addressed