| Learning Objective #1: Appreciate how students learn the meaning of caring and professional practice and how these concepts are shaped | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Consider how a curriculum contributes to the development of these understandings from students’ lived experiences |
Objective: Appreciate how students learn the meaning of caring and professional practice, how these concepts are shaped, and how a curriculum contributes to the development of these understandings from students’ lived experiences.
Design: Qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured, audiotaped, face-to-face interviews.
Concepts or Variables studied: Caring and professional practice.
Population, sample, setting: The 10 participants were single, female, ranging in age from 18-25 years. All were full time students in the first year of their collaborative baccalaureate program, with five at each of two program sites (college and university).
Methods: Participants were interviewed twice, in October & March. Interviews ranged from 10-40 minutes. They responded to a researcher-developed interview guide in which they described their understandings of caring and professional practice. Content analysis was completed on transcriptions to identify evolving themes related to caring and professional practice in a developing professional.
Findings: Participants expressed that caring is innate, holistic, and other-centered. It included being knowledgeable and competent. Concepts of presence and listening were also evident. Professional practice was viewed as maintaining a professional image, maintaining standards, being competent, responsible, and accountable. Caring and empathy were not viewed as concepts of professionalism. Students perceived that clinical and academic experiences, and faculty influenced their development as nurses. The behaviour of health care professionals had a powerful impact on participants’ perceptions of professionalism.
Conclusions: First year students labelled and explained elements of professionalism and caring, recognized its presence and absence in others, and when they, themselves, demonstrated it. Results provide valuable insights into curriculum content, design, and processes shaping perspectives about the nursing profession. Understandings about the meaningfulness of students’ educational experiences were gained.
Implications: Nursing educators and nurses in practice settings should consider how students’ understandings about caring and professional nursing are shaped.
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