ABSTRACT
Baccalaureate nursing education prepares students to become registered nurses in evolving health care systems. During their program, students' perceptions of empowerment in the nursing profession begin to form, and they are introduced to the process of reflective thinking. The purpose of this integrative literature review is unique in that three concepts are examined and linked-structural empowerment (as conceptualized by Kanter), psychological empowerment (as described by Spreitzer), and reflective thinking (as characterized by Mezirow)-and a theoretical model for testing is proposed. In examining the conceptual links, it is apparent that all three are required for learning and nursing practice. By preparing students to be empowered, reflective professionals, it is proposed that they will be more effective in their academic and future practice work. The conceptual links and proposed model described in this article provide the foundation for building a body of evidence to support or refute this contention.
Subject(s)
Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Power, Psychological , Self-Assessment , Thinking , Humans , Nursing Education Research , United StatesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a restorative intervention on undergraduate nursing students' capacity to direct attention. METHOD: Kaplan and Kaplan's attention restoration theory, which describes and links concepts of directed attention, attention fatigue, and restorative environments, formed the theoretical basis for this research. A convenience sample consisted of 33 students randomly assigned to nonintervention and intervention groups. The intervention was a 1-hr walk in natural surroundings. Both groups completed study instruments prior to and following the intervention. FINDINGS: Intervention group students scored higher on a measure of quality of life at posttest (p < .05). Differences in a measure of perceived attention were not observed between groups over time. Both groups improved on other measures of attention; however, the results did not provide support for the hypotheses. CONCLUSION: Students were a highly functioning group participating in many activities they considered restorative, prior to the study.
