The influence of an undergraduate problem/context based learning program on evolving professional nursing graduate practice.

Graduates' perception of the value of their undergraduate program is a critical component of professional program evaluation and contributes a viewpoint rarely reported in the literature. It has been proposed that Problem Based Learning (PBL) enhances knowledge acquisition, clinical competency and professionalism as a consequence of students assuming the role of registered nurse as they work through real practice situations on a daily basis in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine how PBL graduates describe the contribution of the educational experience to their professional practice as nurses. Using focused ethnography, PBL graduates (N=45) participated in the study as individuals or through focus group discussions. Graduates described themselves as: self aware and self directed critical thinkers, patient advocates able to engage in evidence based holistic practice and interdisciplinary team members able to take on leadership roles and handle conflict.

Perceptions of extrinsic factors that contribute to a nursing internship experience.

Clinical learning experiences have always been considered a hallmark of nursing education. Introduced in 2004, the ten-week paid internship is a fourth year summer course offered to select students who have demonstrated strong academic and clinical performance. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study designed to explore student and staff perceptions about extrinsic factors that promote or impede learning during a nursing internship course. A descriptive exploratory design was used to conduct this research. Findings have been grouped into two main themes: extrinsic factors that promote interns' learning and extrinsic factors that impede interns' learning. The sub-themes under extrinsic factors that promote interns' learning are: staff making themselves available, having knowledge of policy, and units setting the tone for success. The sub-themes under extrinsic factors that impede interns' learning are: difficulty accessing staff, lack of knowledge of policy, and units not setting the tone for success. It is apparent that the factors identified in this study are similar to those found in the literature. It is striking that research findings of multiple studies examining factors that affect clinical learning converge regardless of the context or clinical learning models examined.