ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the transfer of bioscience knowledge gained during undergraduate nursing studies into clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of new registered nurses in applying bioscience concepts in their day-to-day nursing practice. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative design. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen recently graduated registered nurses (RNs) who were working in acute care settings participated in the study. METHODS: Semi-structured, face-to-face individual interviews were conducted. Interview data were audio-recorded and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Four themes were identified from the qualitative interviews. The first and second themes demonstrated nurses' realisation of the relevance of theoretical bioscience knowledge learnt within the classroom to their practice and how this evidence-based knowledge translated into confidence in decisions made. The third and fourth themes revealed the impact bioscience knowledge had on RNs' relationships with patients and family members, which was viewed as providing compassionate care. CONCLUSIONS: The application of knowledge in biosciences gained during their undergraduate years, provided the basis for RNs to trust in their own clinical judgment and to speak with conviction. 'Connecting the dots' between bioscience knowledge and clinical practice provided the platform for RNs to gain and build trust with their patients. The practical utility of bioscience knowledge in everyday practice allowed RNs to contextualise their nursing care regimen and tailor holistic nursing care delivery to individual patient needs.
Subject(s)
Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Education, Nursing, Graduate , Students, Nursing , Humans , Learning , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study sought to explore undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of the role and value of their bioscience tutors in a blended learning curriculum. BACKGROUND: Blended learning approaches typically have reduced face-to-face contact with tutors-particularly in bioscience subjects which nursing students have traditionally found difficult, and the move to more web-based learning resources may compound this difficulty. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted with 19 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in bioscience subjects, at a large university in outer metropolitan Sydney, Australia in 2016. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over the telephone or face-to-face. Duration of interviews ranged from 13 to 71 min. Results were thematically analysed. EQUATOR guidelines for qualitative research (COREQ) applied. RESULTS: Two main themes with accompanying sub-themes were identified. The first theme identified the importance of the tutor in bioscience, including their qualities, expertise and contextualisation of learning. The second theme provided insights into students' perceptions of what they considered good and poor approaches to learning. CONCLUSIONS: This study has clearly shown that while nursing students appreciated the flexibility offered by the online component of a blended learning curriculum, they still wanted an experienced bioscience tutor with clinical experience for their face-to-face classes. While the tutor was seen as crucial to providing clarification and context for content that was often challenging, they also played a key role in engaging and motivating students and creating a learning environment where students felt empowered to ask questions and debate issues with their peers. Given the increased use of online learning, further research could determine if the current study findings are also applicable in nonscience areas of study. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The importance of students having a sound understanding of the biosciences for safe, effective clinical practice cannot be underestimated.
