Purpose of the study. This study explored three factors pertaining to the discrepancies between nursing students' perceptions of real and ideal social environments of classrooms. They were: the nature of the discrepancies between students' perceptions, differences in academic performance as they related to discrepancies in perceptions, and variances in discrepancies in perceptions among students of different personality types. Methodology. The sample consisted of 335 students, enrolled in a state college in Massachusetts, who volunteered to participate. A classroom environment scale was used to assess discrepancies between subjects' perceptions of real and ideal social environments of classrooms. Personality types were determined by a personality type indicator and academic achievement was indicated by students' final numerical grades in their courses. Results. Discrepancies were evident between mean scores for subunits and total scores for actual and preferred forms of the classroom environment scale. Using students as units of analyses of the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients for final numerical grades and age separately with the discrepancies between scores produced coefficients ranging from.002 to.448, while using classes as units of analyses rendered coefficients ranging from.105 to.928 with those from.691 to.928 (70%) significant at $\le$.05. Using students as units of analyses for the correlation of age with grades yielded coefficients ranging from.072 to.543 and using classes as units of analyses produced a coefficient of.904 significant at.001. A one-way analysis of variance of scores for the actual form and the discrepancy between the scores for the actual and preferred forms, grouped according to personality types, yielded F values that were not statistically significant. Conclusions. Discrepancies were found between students' perceptions of real and ideal social environments of classrooms. Low to moderate relationships were prevalent between discrepancies in individual students' perceptions with academic achievement and age. However, when students were grouped by class sections, strong associations were evident for mean ages and grades with the mean discrepancies between scores. The composition of the personality types per class were not associated with students' perceptions of the existing press or the degree of discrepancy between their perceptions of real and ideal social environments of classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to shed light on the perceptions of nursing faculty and students about the use of humor in their nursing programs. All data were gathered from a three part questionnaire which contained 17 questions or statements. The questionnaire was administered to ten (10) nursing faculty and one-hundred and sixty (160) nursing students. Respondents were drawn from five randomly selected schools of nursing in Central Massachusetts. All schools were either associate degree or baccalaureate levels, admitting generic students as well as registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who had returned to school to earn a degree. Analysis of the data was obtained through the Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests which revealed that significant differences (p $<$ 0.05) existed between the perceptions of the nursing faculty and their respective students. The results of the study indicate that faculty and students have similar perceptions of the use of humor in many situations. However, significant differences were determined between their perceptions regarding the extent of the use of humor in classrooms, clinical settings, and the appropriateness of the use of humor in a profession. Recommendations for further study include expanding the participation to a larger sample population, defining terms and measurements more meticulously, and implementing the use of planned humor in the classroom and clinical settings. The findings in this study are consistent with the existing literature that suggests that humor is multifunctional and fundamental in both education and health care.

The performance objectives of professional education are often more explicit, and the relationship with the world of work more immediate and comprehensive, than those of other university majors that are frequently the subject of writing-across-the-curriculum scholarship. This cross-sectional study of samples of both students and professors in the basic undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree seeks (1) to determine how they view the roles of writing in the major; (2) to ascertain the assumptions that inform how both groups handle writing within the context of classroom and clinical settings; and (3) to discover what practices result from these views and assumptions. Information was gathered from students through questionnaires, interviews and writing samples, and from faculty through a course writing inventory, course materials and interviews. The data show how writing serves individual, course and program goals; describe some of the ways in which writing is related to the theoretical frameworks and evolution of the discipline; and provide insight into how students conceive of and approach the writing required in their coursework. The final chapter outlines the interconnected roles of writing in this academic program and discusses how writing is used in fashioning professional identity, in teaching, in curricular structure, in fostering individual development, and in advancing professional nursing, and possible links between feminist epistemological studies and the roles of writing in professional education are suggested.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate, through interviews, the factors influencing the career choice, role perception, and job satisfaction of 15 college health service nurse managers working in New England state colleges. The secondary purpose was to categorize nurse managers according to their attitudes and to determine the relevancy of the American College Health Association job description. The conceptual framework of the study included socialization, role theory, and job satisfaction. The 15 nurse managers who agreed to participate in the study comprise 75% of the potential subjects of this study. Interviews were conducted through the use of an open-ended interview guide. Qualitative analysis identified general themes from interview data. Selected segments of each audio taped interview were chosen by the interviewer to provide examples of key concepts related to career choice, role perception, and job satisfaction. Discussion of these findings resulted in the following conclusions: (1) Nurses need to assume a leadership role in developing policies and determining the direction for the college health service nurse managers' role. (2) Channels of communication between nurse managers and administrators must be identified and maintained to clarify role expectations and perceptions and to eliminate discrepancies. (3) Advanced education at the master's level and certification as a nurse practitioner may provide the nurse manager with the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill her role. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for future research.

Nursings' lack of full professional status based on the criteria of autonomy coupled with the need for a more independent practitioner in today's complex health care system was the basis for this study. A comparison of senior nursing students from different educational programs was undertaken to determine if type of educational preparation was a predictor of professional autonomy. Schutzenhofer's (1988) Nursing Activity Scale (NAS) was used to measure and compare the level of professional autonomy of 306 senior nursing students who were within four weeks of graduation from nine nursing programs across Massachusetts. Further comparisons of students' professed autonomy as a function of demographic variables and students' perceptions of their level of participation in learning were compared. Thirty-six senior level nursing faculty were surveyed for identification of possible relationships between student and faculty scores on these variables. The majority of students surveyed (85%) scored in the high range of the autonomy scale, and the level of nursing education was not a predictor of the students' autonomy level. Variables that correlated with student autonomy levels were marriage, plans for earning an advanced nursing degree and perceived level of participation in learning. However, significant differences were found in student reported autonomy between schools at the associate degree level. Schools at the baccalaureate degree level did not differ significantly from each other. No clear relationship was found between student and faculty scores. More baccalaureate degree students reported their programs as having a more theoretical than practical focus, while the associate degree students perceived a more practical focus to their programs. Seventy-five percent of students from both programs planned to earn advanced nursing degrees. These findings have implications for nursing education. Increased opportunities for students to participate more fully in their educational process may facilitate the internalization of professional autonomy in nursing students. Such opportunities may ultimately provide the health care system with practitioners who possess the professional characteristics necessary for a more autonomous, successful practice.

Chronic significant shortages of registered nurses and increasing numbers of older non-traditional students in nursing programs necessitate close examination by nurse educators of, among other issues, recruitment, program articulation, and the fit of curriculum and instruction to the new students. Crucial to this is knowledge of the life stages, learning styles and personal goals of these students, and that is the focus of this study, modeled on King's 1984 study using methodology adapted from Weathersby (1977). The subjects are the 130 students in Quincy's two-year college school of nursing, one group in a traditional RN program and one group, with LPN certificates, in an advanced placement program. The conceptual framework integrates Levinson's theory of life stages and Kolb's theory of learning style. Instruments used include Tarule's Educational Experience Inventory, Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and a demographic questionnaire. While both groups of students were of non-traditional age, the APN students averaged five years older than the RNs. The RNs were largely in Early Adult Transition and the APNs largely in the Mid-Life Transition phase. The learning styles for 83% of both groups were divided between Accommodators and Divergers, both of which strongly prefer concrete learning experience and also desire to have input to their curriculum and instruction. They perceived learning as a valued investment in themselves and were demanding of the learning process. These findings, characteristic of adult learners, could usefully produce changes in nursing curriculum and instruction such as assessment and adaptation to experiential learning, individualized clinical instruction with preceptors/mentors, flexible scheduling of classes and clinical work, and increased involvement by students in setting goals and objectives for class and clinical learning.

Hispanics continue to be the fastest growing minority population in the United States. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau (2000) indicates that Hispanics comprise 35 million, or 12.5%, of the total population, up from 9.0% in 1990. Despite the significant increase in the Hispanic population, the number of Hispanic nurses does not reflect this increase. As the number of Hispanics continues to grow, there will be an increasing demand for culturally competent health care providers and healthcare services. The primary purpose of this qualitative, in-depth phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Latina nursing students in the United States in order to identify conditions that affect their educational experiences. Using an in-depth phenomenology approach, seventeen Latina nursing students and recently graduated nurses in Massachusetts and Connecticut were interviewed between 1999–2000. Participation in the study required that the participants self identify as Latina/Hispanic and be enrolled in an undergraduate nursing program. Data were obtained through three separate interviews, each with a different focus and each lasting ninety minutes. The interviews were conducted approximately a week apart. The first interview focused on collecting historical and biographical data. The second interview focused on what was currently happening in the interviewee's life as a nursing student or recent graduate. The third interview explored on the meaning of the two previous interviews. Data was analyzed by crafting participant profiles and identifying thematic connections. A journey metaphor is being used to describe each participant's experiences. Along this journey, the themes are discussed as roadblocks and bridges, the obstacles and supports, experienced by the student nurse/nurses. The roadblocks or obstacles are marginalization and socioeconomic status. The bridges or supports are family, mentors, and perseverance. The participants' experiences provide important insights that may benefit schools of nursing and other disciplines concerned with nursing education. Recommendations in three major areas are being made as a result of this study. These focus on K–12 education, nursing education, and future research. By presenting the recent educational experiences of Latina nursing students, this study has implications for future curriculum development and multicultural education within the nursing profession.

Este estudo abordou a análise do uso do Portfólio Reflexivo (PR) como instrumento da avaliação formativa em um curso de Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Enfermagem. Teve como objetivo geral analisar como vem se configurando o processo de adoção do portfólio reflexivo como estratégia de avaliação formativa do Curso de Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Enfermagem de uma universidade pública do interior paulista, tendo em vista as potencialidades e fragilidades desse processo. Os objetivos específicos foram: analisar como é compreendido o PR e quais são as orientações teóricas para a sua utilização; compreender as concepções e os modos de fazer dos professores e alunos no que se refere ao PR; compreender as demandas geradas para o trabalho docente e para o aluno a partir do uso do PR. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, realizada em uma instituição pública de ensino superior do interior paulista. Foram realizados grupos focais com alunos do último período do curso (5o ano) e com docentes que utilizavam o PR em suas disciplinas. A análise dos dados foi conduzida pela análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2016). Foi realizada também análise documental do Projeto Político Pedagógico (PPP) do curso. Foram configuradas as seguintes categorias temáticas: Das potencialidades declaradas pelos alunos ao predomínio da dimensão instrumental na formação; O aluno aprendendo a acompanhar sua própria aprendizagem; Das fragilidades e resistências ao portfólio apresentadas pelos alunos ao trabalho docente em perspectiva produtivista e aos limites da formação pedagógica; A avaliação formativa e o portfólio reflexivo: caminhos que se cruzam?; O portfólio reflexivo na vivência de professores da licenciatura em enfermagem: sentimentos despertados e conhecimentos ampliados na abertura para o \"novo\"; Demandas do Portfólio Reflexivo e o contexto do trabalho docente universitário: na contramão dos processos formativos? O PR pode ser um instrumento muito valioso podendo proporcionar de fato que a avaliação formativa seja feita com vistas à reflexão e à emancipação dos estudantes; contudo, na lógica da perspectiva da pedagogia das competências e do aprender a aprender poderá privilegiar o fortalecimento da prática cotidiana, em detrimento do desenvolvimento da perspectiva crítica no processo formativo. A transformação, de fato, do PR em instrumento a favor da emancipação demanda formação docente, gestão coletiva, valorização do ensino de graduação, em defesa de um projeto de formação crítico, em contraposição à lógica produtivista. Pelo estudo pode-se inferir que há intenções de manter o \"novo\", pelos alunos e professores, mas apreende-se, nesse contexto, na direção da formação em perspectiva crítica, necessidade de qualificá-lo com mais solidez teórica e diretrizes operativas / This study approached the analysis of the use of the Reflective Portfolio (RP) as an instrument of formative evaluation in a Bachelor\'s Degree and Nursing Degree. Its general purpose was to assess how the reflective portfolio has been implemented as an educational tool of major Nursing courses at a public university in the countryside of the State of São Paulo, considering both the potentials and weaknesses of the process. The specific goals were: to assess how RP is perceived and what are the theoretical grounds for its use; to understand the concepts and behaviors of both teachers and students in relation to RP; to understand the requirements demanded for both the teacher and students\' works with the adoption of RP. It is a qualitative research carried out a public college in the countryside of the State of São Paulo. Focus groups gathering students from the last course period (5th year) and teachers who have been using RP in their courses were created. Data analysis was based on Bardin\'s content analysis (2016). A document assessment of the course\'s Political Educational Project (PPP) was also carried out. The following themes were created: The potentials stated by the students regarding the prominence of the dimension of the tool in education; The student learns how to follow-up their own learning; About the weaknesses and oppositions to the portfolio brought by students to teachers under a productive point of view and the limitations of educational formation; The educational assessment and the reflective portfolio: crossing paths?; The reflective portfolio in the experience of Nursing course teachers: feelings aroused and knowledge expanded in the opening for what is \"new\"; Requirements of the in the countryside of the State of São Paulo and the context of college teachers: an obstacle to educational processes? RP could be a very valuable tool and actually enable education to be carried out considering the reflection and emancipation of students; however, in the logistics of the educational perspective of disciplines and learning how to learn could emphasize the strengthening of daily practice, as opposed to the development of criticism in the educational process. The actual transformation of RP into a tool on behalf of emancipation requires teaching education, collective management, valuing major courses, everything on behalf of a critical educational project as opposed to the productive logistics. The paper shows both teachers and students are willing to focus on \"what is new\", but, in this context, it is understood they want to do that focusing on critical thinking - therefore, it is necessary to give RP more technical support and operational guidelines

Este estudo abordou a análise do uso do Portfólio Reflexivo (PR) como instrumento da avaliação formativa em um curso de Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Enfermagem. Teve como objetivo geral analisar como vem se configurando o processo de adoção do portfólio reflexivo como estratégia de avaliação formativa do Curso de Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Enfermagem de uma universidade pública do interior paulista, tendo em vista as potencialidades e fragilidades desse processo. Os objetivos específicos foram: analisar como é compreendido o PR e quais são as orientações teóricas para a sua utilização; compreender as concepções e os modos de fazer dos professores e alunos no que se refere ao PR; compreender as demandas geradas para o trabalho docente e para o aluno a partir do uso do PR. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, realizada em uma instituição pública de ensino superior do interior paulista. Foram realizados grupos focais com alunos do último período do curso (5o ano) e com docentes que utilizavam o PR em suas disciplinas. A análise dos dados foi conduzida pela análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2016). Foi realizada também análise documental do Projeto Político Pedagógico (PPP) do curso. Foram configuradas as seguintes categorias temáticas: Das potencialidades declaradas pelos alunos ao predomínio da dimensão instrumental na formação; O aluno aprendendo a acompanhar sua própria aprendizagem; Das fragilidades e resistências ao portfólio apresentadas pelos alunos ao trabalho docente em perspectiva produtivista e aos limites da formação pedagógica; A avaliação formativa e o portfólio reflexivo: caminhos que se cruzam?; O portfólio reflexivo na vivência de professores da licenciatura em enfermagem: sentimentos despertados e conhecimentos ampliados na abertura para o \"novo\"; Demandas do Portfólio Reflexivo e o contexto do trabalho docente universitário: na contramão dos processos formativos? O PR pode ser um instrumento muito valioso podendo proporcionar de fato que a avaliação formativa seja feita com vistas à reflexão e à emancipação dos estudantes; contudo, na lógica da perspectiva da pedagogia das competências e do aprender a aprender poderá privilegiar o fortalecimento da prática cotidiana, em detrimento do desenvolvimento da perspectiva crítica no processo formativo. A transformação, de fato, do PR em instrumento a favor da emancipação demanda formação docente, gestão coletiva, valorização do ensino de graduação, em defesa de um projeto de formação crítico, em contraposição à lógica produtivista. Pelo estudo pode-se inferir que há intenções de manter o \"novo\", pelos alunos e professores, mas apreende-se, nesse contexto, na direção da formação em perspectiva crítica, necessidade de qualificá-lo com mais solidez teórica e diretrizes operativas / This study approached the analysis of the use of the Reflective Portfolio (RP) as an instrument of formative evaluation in a Bachelor\'s Degree and Nursing Degree. Its general purpose was to assess how the reflective portfolio has been implemented as an educational tool of major Nursing courses at a public university in the countryside of the State of São Paulo, considering both the potentials and weaknesses of the process. The specific goals were: to assess how RP is perceived and what are the theoretical grounds for its use; to understand the concepts and behaviors of both teachers and students in relation to RP; to understand the requirements demanded for both the teacher and students\' works with the adoption of RP. It is a qualitative research carried out a public college in the countryside of the State of São Paulo. Focus groups gathering students from the last course period (5th year) and teachers who have been using RP in their courses were created. Data analysis was based on Bardin\'s content analysis (2016). A document assessment of the course\'s Political Educational Project (PPP) was also carried out. The following themes were created: The potentials stated by the students regarding the prominence of the dimension of the tool in education; The student learns how to follow-up their own learning; About the weaknesses and oppositions to the portfolio brought by students to teachers under a productive point of view and the limitations of educational formation; The educational assessment and the reflective portfolio: crossing paths?; The reflective portfolio in the experience of Nursing course teachers: feelings aroused and knowledge expanded in the opening for what is \"new\"; Requirements of the in the countryside of the State of São Paulo and the context of college teachers: an obstacle to educational processes? RP could be a very valuable tool and actually enable education to be carried out considering the reflection and emancipation of students; however, in the logistics of the educational perspective of disciplines and learning how to learn could emphasize the strengthening of daily practice, as opposed to the development of criticism in the educational process. The actual transformation of RP into a tool on behalf of emancipation requires teaching education, collective management, valuing major courses, everything on behalf of a critical educational project as opposed to the productive logistics. The paper shows both teachers and students are willing to focus on \"what is new\", but, in this context, it is understood they want to do that focusing on critical thinking - therefore, it is necessary to give RP more technical support and operational guidelines

RESUMO: Introdução: as estatísticas progressivamente preocupantes demonstram que as doenças cardiovasculares são a principal causa de morbimortalidade no Brasil e no mundo e, entre elas, estão as que levam à parada cardiorrespiratória (PCR). O aprimoramento contínuo do ensino do atendimento às vítimas de PCR pré ou intra-hospitalar torna-se fundamental para a boa formação dos profissionais de saúde, incluindo os de Enfermagem. Objetivo: o presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o processo de ensino aprendizagem no atendimento pré-hospitalar às vítimas de PCR, utilizando as manobras de Ressuscitação Cardiopulmonar (RCP) e o Desfibrilador Externo Automático (DEA), no aspecto teórico (CONHECIMENTO) e prático (HABILIDADE), seguindo as recomendações do guideline de 2010 da Aliança Internacional dos Comitês de Ressuscitação (ILCOR). Casuística e Método: a amostra foi constituída por 37 alunos do 1º ano, da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo, que não tiveram nenhuma orientação prévia sobre o tema. A pesquisa foi executada no Laboratório de Enfermagem da EEUSP (LE-EEUSP), em três fases. Na 1ª fase, houve a avaliação prévia desses alunos por meio de prova teórica (avaliação do CONHECIMENTO) constituída por 40 questões e prova prática avaliada pela execução de um check list com 20 itens (avaliação da HABILIDADE). Na 2ª fase, foi realizado um Curso teórico-prático com exposição do assunto em aula teórica e, a seguir, a demonstração prática, em simulação no LE-EEUSP, com manequim e outros materiais e equipamentos específicos. Esse ambiente para simulação, assim organizado, foi disponibilizado, durante um mês, para o treinamento dos alunos sob orientação de instrutores que aferiram o tempo e o número de treinamentos de cada aluno. Após essa etapa, na 3ª fase, esses alunos foram submetidos à nova avaliação, com prova teórica (avaliação do CONHECIMENTO) e prática (avaliação da HABILIDADE), utilizando os mesmos instrumentos da 1ª fase. Os parâmetros avaliados no estudo foram: desempenho dos alunos antes e após Curso teórico-prático; tempo de execução e número de treinamentos de cada aluno. Resultados: observou-se acréscimo de acertos na prova teórica (CONHECIMENTO) em 37 questões, com significado estatístico em 30 delas (p<0,05). Quanto à avaliação da HABILIDADE, houve aumento de acertos em 19 dos 20 itens do check list (p<0,05). Quanto à relação do percentual de acertos e/ou escores com o número de treinamentos, não houve correlação (p>0,05). No entanto, quanto à relação do percentual de acertos e/ou escores com o tempo de execução a correlação foi significativa (p<0,05) e classificada como moderada. Conclusões: após o Curso teórico prático ministrado, utilizando as estratégias de ensino descritas, houve melhora significativa do desempenho dos alunos em ambos os aspectos avaliados: CONHECIMENTO e HABILIDADE. / Abstract: Introduction: Increasingly worrisome statistics show that cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of morbimortality in Brazil and worldwide, among these conditions being those that lead to cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Continuous improvement of education on CPA pre or intra-hospital care is essential for the development of health professionals, including nursing professionals. Objective: This study aimed at assessing the teaching/ learning process of pre-hospital care to CPA victims with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Maneuvers (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillators (AED), as far as theoretical aspects (KNOWLEDGE) and practical aspects (SKILLS) are concerned, according to the 2010 guidelines of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). Case Description and Method: The sample consisted of 37 first-year students enrolled at the School of Nursing of Universidade de São Paulo, who had not received any previous instruction on the theme. The research was carried out in the Nursing Laboratory of the Schoof of Nursing (LE-EEUSP), in three phases. In the 1st phase, students sat a preliminary theoretical test (KNOWLEDGE assessment), with 40 questions, and took a practical test in which they had to go over a 20-item check list (SKILLS assessment). In the 2nd phase, a theoretical-practical course was offered, based on explanatory theoretical classes and subsequent practical demonstrations, with simulations at the LE-EEUSP laboratory employing dummies and other specific materials and equipment. This specially prepared simulation environment remained available for training during a month, supervised by instructors that were responsible for keeping track of the time spent and the number of training sessions taken by each student. Later on, in the 3rd phase, students were evaluated again by means of a theoretical test (KNOWLEDGE assessment) and a practical test (SKILLS assessment), with the same assessment tools used in the 1st phase. The study then considered the performance of students before and after the course and the number of sessions and time spent on training. Results: An increase in the percentage of correct answers was observed in 37 questions of the theoretical test (KNOWLEDGE), with statistical significance (p<0.05) in 30 of these cases. As to the SKILLS assessment, there was an increase in the percentage of correct answers given to 19 of the 20 items in the check list (p<0.05). As far as the relation between the correct answers percentage and/or test scores and the number of training sessions, no correlation was observed (p>0.05). However, the relation between the correct answers percentage and/or test scores and time spent on training was significant (p<0.05), classified as moderate correlation. Conclusion: After taking the theoretical-practical course, applying the strategies taught, students significantly improved their performance in relation to the aspects that were assessed: KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS.