Minding the gap: some theory-practice disjunctions in nursing education research

Work-integrated learning: a didactic tool to develop praxis in nurse education

Praxis is a concept that is both vague and overused in nursing science. Hence, a more stringent use of the concept praxis could help clarify the connections between theory and practice. The purpose of this theoretical article was to highlight the advantages of developing praxis in nursing education. By using praxis as a dialectic concept, nurse educators can make significant contributions to clinical practice by clarifying that theory and practice are perceived as 2 sides of same coin, leading to a move from "being in praxis" to "being of praxis," a way to develop the profession's autonomy.

How the metaphor of a gap between theory and practice has influenced nursing education

The metaphor of a gap between theory and practice is firmly established in nursing education. Furthermore, it is embedded in conventional professional wisdom to the extent that when it used in professional reports, academic writing or in the conversations amongst nurses, it often requires no further explanation. The notion of a gap between theory and practice has proven to be a most fertile and an especially helpful concept which has enabled educators, clinicians and students to devise practical strategies, intended to resolve problems associated with the gap. However, that nursing has so enthusiastically embraced the notion of a gap between theory and practice may also have inhibited creativity in the design and delivery of programmes and thereby missing other opportunities for student nurses to learn from practical contexts.

Evaluation of students' satisfaction with nursing education in Norway

BACKGROUND

The use of standardized questionnaires for measuring student satisfaction in higher education is motivated by theories predicting a close relationship between students' satisfaction and learning outcomes. The reliability and validity of the Course Experience Questionnaire as an indicator of teaching performance have been established by factor analysis in earlier studies from several countries. The Nursing Clinical Facilitators Questionnaire has been used for measuring satisfaction with clinical practice.

AIMS

The aims of this study were (1) to find out how satisfied nursing students in their last semester were with their clinical practice and the nursing programme as a whole, and (2) to measure the reliability and validity of the two standardized questionnaires.

METHODS

The data were collected using the two standard questionnaires, combined with some background items, in a survey design. Exploratory factor analysis was performed.

FINDINGS

A total of 276 nursing students from three university colleges in Western Norway answered the questionnaire in 1999/2000. The scores indicated slight overall dissatisfaction with the nursing programme, but general satisfaction with clinical practice. Furthermore, 70% of the students who expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the nursing programme were nevertheless satisfied with clinical practice. The broad constituent structure of the Course Experience Questionnaire was replicated, with some deviation for the appropriate assessment scale. The Nursing Clinical Facilitators Questionnaire turned out to have two subscales, representing supportive and challenging behaviour, with satisfactory internal reliability.

CONCLUSION

Annual evaluations using the two standardized questionnaires may result in greater focus being given to students' satisfaction with the nursing programmes and clinical practice in Norwegian nursing education departments. Comparative studies with the same instruments in other countries would also be of interest.

A survey of 'teamwork' in mental health: is it achievable in practice?

As part of an ENB educational evaluation of teamworking in mental health, a report-and-respond survey was used as one of five data collection methods. This instrument disseminated earlier findings back to the participants and invited further comments. This article discusses the usefulness of this type of survey as a data collection tool and presents the findings of the survey which was administered to service professionals, educationalist, students, users and carers involved in mental health throughout England. The findings show that when groups of professionals are working within increasingly tight financial constraints and increased workloads, multiprofessional teamworking can be scarce in reality. These tensions present issues for nurse education and training at both pre- and post-registration levels in relation to the teaching of, for and about effective teamwork.