Nursing education in New Zealand: a case study of experiential learning

Abstract

This thesis presents a case study of a nursing 'practicum' from the perspectives of nursing students and staff nurse 'buddies'. A grounded theory approach was used to interview six nursing students during their transition placement, the final practicum of their Diploma in Nursing programme. Five staff nurse buddies selected by the students were also interviewed. An informal, conversational interview format was used and data was analysed from an experiential learning perspective. This study differs from others because it focuses on the clinical experience component of nursing education, 'practicum', and includes practitioners' viewpoints. At present there is a re-valuing of experience within nursing education with a new emphasis on practice-based learning. Experience-based learning is becoming increasingly acceptable within academia as a 'seamless' education system evolves. I identified three learning stages which students' experience during practicum - initiation, exploration and consolidation. The key stage for learning through experience was exploration. Learning during this stage was predominantly buddy-directed which contradicted the self-directed curriculum design. Students and staff nurses however agreed that communication between them during this stage enabled the development of 'competence'. The learning/teaching approach used by students and staff nurses made it difficult for students to translate their 'all-round' competencies into practicum. It is argued that it is the use of such competencies during practicum which enable nursing students to become autonomous in the attitudinal and epistemological sense. The predominantly 'technical training' approach adopted was understood by students and staff nurses to be reinforced by 'silence' from tutors. Restructuring gives the opportunity for nursing to develop an 'investigative', enquiry-based approach in practice. There will be increasingly an emphasis on practice-based research as a result of the implementation of degree and postgraduate programmes in nursing. This study highlights some aspects of nursing education and it's relationship with practice which can assist the development of such an approach.