Paper
Thursday, July 22, 2004
This presentation is part of : The Nursing Student
Learning From Success: Improving Undergraduate Education by Understanding the Capabilities of Successful Nurse Graduates
Suzanne Freda Rochester, RN, RM, MA, (Syd), MN, (res), (UTS), Faculty of Nursing Midwifery and Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia and Kathleen Kerry Kilstoff, RN, BA, Dip, ED, MA, (Macq), Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health, University of Technology, Sydney, Lindfield, NSW, Australia.
Learning Objective #1: Identify the nurse graduate capabilities associated with early career success
Learning Objective #2: Appreciate the importance of developing the graduate capabilities identified within undergraduate nursing education

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the capabilities seen to be the most important for successful nursing practice during the first 2 - 6 years following university graduation and to evaluate the degree to which university programs were developing these capabilities. As this study forms part of a series of linked studies across discipline areas a further aim was to compare results across disciplines.

Design and Method: The survey instrument items used for this study and others in the linked series was generated through extensive research by the Quality Unit at the University of Technology, Sydney. Respondents to the survey were asked to indicate the level of importance of an item (49 in total) to their workplace success and how well this item was addressed within their degree.

The nursing component of this research was carried out in two phases. In phase 1 two registered nurses identified as high performers by their supervisor were recruited to the study. These nurses and their supervisor where interviewed extensively and resultant data scrutinised to determine the applicability of the survey instrument. In phase two a further 17 Registered Nurses again identified as high performers were asked to complete the survey.

Findings: The results from this study suggest that while capability in technical skills is necessary for successful practice as a nurse, it is not sufficient. A range of 'emotional intelligence' and cognitive capabilities were identified as the most significant factors for successful practice. While the sample size for the nursing study is small and results should be evaluated in this light, these findings are strengthened by their similarity to the results in other discipline areas.

Implications: By directing attention to the total undergraduate learning experience curriculum developers can do much to provide educational opportunities that encourage development of the capabilities identified.

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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004