Exploring student's perceptions and experience of personal tutors

There are a variety of arrangements to support pre-registration nursing students whilst they engage with the theoretical and practical elements of their course; these includes academic supervisor and a personal tutor. The personal tutor system is recognized as an effective method of ensuring that each student has access to a wide range of support services and that the individual's academic progress and personal development are monitored by a skilled member of academic staff (Harrison, 1990). However, there is a dearth of studies relating to the role of the personal tutor in nurse education from the students' perspective. This study set out to explore the pre-registration students nurse's experience of personal tutoring at one School of Nursing and Midwifery in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK. Focus groups and a semi-structured questionnaire were used to collect data from pre-registration nursing participants. Data analysed revealed both positive and negative experiences; most rated their advice and support good with many positive aspects to their personal tutoring expressed however many felt the need for more contact time, more support academically and whilst on clinical placements, and more structured support with their personal development planning. This paper also describes how the study was conducted, the importance that students place on the role, and the need for further research and areas for improvement.     

Rethinking theory and practice: pre-registration student nurses experiences of simulation teaching and learning in the acquisition of clinical skills in preparation for practice

In the United Kingdom (UK) simulation learning has been recognised in the form of a regulatory agreement that may replace hours from clinical practice. This integration has become an embedded feature of the pre-registration nursing programme at a University in the North of England, along with strategic investment in staff and simulation suites developed to underpin this curriculum change albeit in the absence of sparse empirical evidence, hence the rationale for the study which was designed to explore the relationship between simulation, theory and practice. The study features a thematic analysis of evaluation questionnaires from pre-registration student nurses (n=>500) collected over a 2 year period which informed subsequent focus group interviews to explore the themes in more detail. Consistent data findings were the students' positive response to simulation as a learning approach facilitating the application of theory in a safe controlled environment. Students reported that they felt prepared for practice, recognising that simulated learning improved their humanistic and problem solving abilities as well as the development of psychomotor, technical skills, and overall confidence. The theory-practice gap is a recurring narrative in the nursing literature, the findings of this study recognises that simulation offers an opportunity to enact the integration of theory and practice illuminating this relationship in a controlled environment thus, reinforcing the theory-practice relationship for nursing students.     

Evaluation of a model for maximizing interprofessional education in an acute hospital

Summary

A one-year planning phase established a rolling programme of bi-monthly interprofessional clinical teaching workshops derived directly from patient experiences in an acute hospital. Pre-registration healthcare students from 8 professions spent an afternoon in the hospital training centre, randomly allocated to one of 6 – 8 small working groups. Using a problem-based methodology they analysed a ward case with patient consent, chosen to reflect the input of a wide range of health professionals. Students worked through a prepared workbook facilitated by a range of tutors from all disciplines. Each small group reported back on one aspect of team working to the entire cohort entering into debate and discussion with the support of clinical and academic tutors. Post course patient details were found on a website enabling students to progress their uni-professional knowledge, e.g., on anatomy, physiology, pharmacology etc. The questionnaire evaluation on over 126 students and 11 tutors identified that interprofessional competencies were understood and valued. Students related principles of team working and collaborative practice to their placement experiences of team work. Interactive learning enables further appreciation of professions roles and responsibilities and the importance of teamwork to optimize patient care (82.0 – 90.5%). The half-day learning model can be easily supported by busy clinical staff, led by hospital educators and accessed by students on hospital placements, at a mid-point in training, with learning supported by consenting in-patients or recent admissions prepared to share their experiences.     

Nurses, computers and pre-registration education

Nursing informatics, the use of information and technology, to support the work of the nurse, is an essential part of the modern nurses’ job. In the UK this is supported by a range of National Health Service policy documents over the past decade, starting with Information for Health in 1998. Research carried out over this period has however found that nurses lack the necessary skills and knowledge to use computers effectively, and that pre-registration education does not fully prepare student nurses for this aspect of the role of the nurse. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study carried out with a cohort of nursing students, which found that although the students lacked computer skills and knowledge at the start of their programme they were willing to engage with this agenda. Two factors were found to be necessary for students to use the available IT on placement. One was a belief that they had the skills to use the computers; the other was a supportive environment that encouraged their use. Unfortunately only a minority of students reported that they had experienced a supportive environment.     

Skills for safe practice – A qualitative study to evaluate the use of simulation in safeguarding children teaching for pre-registration children’s nurses

Safeguarding children teaching is a required component in all pre-registration nursing curricula. A structured approach to this teaching as part of preparation for registration as a children's nurse was developed jointly by the Course Leader and the Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children. This approach aims to equip children's nurses with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for safe practice. A key element in this curriculum is simulation, where students must assess injuries on manikins, select and complete appropriate documentation, and perform a nursing handover. Simulation has recognised value in nurse education but its use in safeguarding children teaching for student children's nurses has not previously been widely reported.This small-scale qualitative study explored the student experience and the impact of simulation teaching in the development of relevant knowledge and the core safeguarding skill set of observation, interpretation, documentation and communication.The methodology for this small, qualitative study was triangulated, comprising observation of the simulation teaching and two sets of semi-structured interviews. The resultant data was investigated using thematic analysis.The outcome of the study suggested that students were able to transfer learning from the simulation into clinical practice, and that simulation as an approach to safeguarding children teaching resonated with the students' preferred learning style and merits further consideration and evaluation.