Dr. Ronald Cervero (1985) identified learner motivation, the nature of the change, the social system of the organizational climate, and the educational program as factors affecting the application of learning to professional practice. A repeated measures research design was used to measure stability over time of instruments developed to measure variables in Cervero's model. Participants, N=27) graduate students, completed the instruments, "New Ideas and You" which measures learner's motivation to change, "The Nature of Change" which measures the learner's perception of the proposed change, and "Organizational Climate of the Social System" which measures the learner's perception of the social system's affect on the implementation of change. Staff nurses (N=27) completed the instrument "Continuing Education Offering Evaluation" which measures the learner's perception of the educational offering. Participants then completed the instruments again in three weeks. Procedures for the protection of human subjects were followed. The test-retest reliability coefficients were: "New Ideas and You," r=.72 L)-.01; "The Nature of Change," r.84 p=.01; "Organizational Climate of the Social System," r.83 p=.01; "Continuing Education Offering Evaluation," r.91 p=.01. The significance of this study was the initial establishment of stability over time of instruments developed to measure specific factors that affect the application of newly gained knowledge to nursing practice. Establishing reliability coefficients of instruments to measure the variables in Cervero's model is a step forward in the investigation of the larger question, "Does continuing education change practice?" / School of Nursing

Critical thinking skills have been identified as important for practicing nurses to acquire. Therefore, nurse educators have a responsibility to improve the critical thinking skills of nursing students. There is limited research related to critical thinking and nursing education especially in the clinical environment. Nurses need finely honed critical thinking skills in order to be safe, competent, and skillful practitioners of their profession.The purpose of this research was to study the way nursing faculty use clinical situations to develop critical thinking in student nurses. The research question was: How do nursing faculty use clinical situations to develop critical thinking in nursing students?In researching this question a grounded theory approach was chosen. The grounded theory approach allows for the development of theory or extension of existing theory which can be used to build on or base future research in nursing education (Chenitz & Swanson, 1986).Data collection was completed using open-ended interviews and participant observation which is consistent with the grounded theory approach. The constant comparative method of data analysis was used to compare and contrast data between and among identified groups.Clinical nursing instructors were asked to participate in the study. The subjects were interviewed and observed teaching in the clinical environment. Confidentiality was guaranteed through coding and destruction of the field notes upon completion of the project. Participation was voluntary and subjects could withdraw at any time from the study.There were no identifiable risks involved in the study. Potential benefits were increased awareness of strategies to develop critical thinking skills and contributions to improve nursing education.Setting the stage for critical thinking in nursing education was identified as the core category. The data supported the development of critical thinking in the clinical environment related to trusting relationships in a risk-free environment. Teaching strategies that contribute to the development of critical thinking were identified. Nursing faculty recognize the importance of critical thinking to nursing and attempt to instill critical thinking in the nursing students. / School of Nursing

The purpose of this Heideggerian phenomenological study was to identify the meaning of caring as taught by nursing faculty in nursing education. Eight participants were interviewed and asked to describe an experience with students in which they felt caring occurred. Consistent with the method, purposive sampling was used in order to obtain an understanding from those who have lived the experience of caring and could articulate their experiences. Nursing faculty who were known by the researcher and who had lived the experience of caring with students were asked to be participants. Interviews were audio taped and the data were transcribed by the researcher. Audio tapes were destroyed when the study was completed. Transcribed data were shared with other researchers who were familiar with Heideggerian phenomenology and hermeneutics for the purpose of gaining insight into interpretations. When data were shared, names of participants and other identifying information were removed. Sharing of data for the purpose of interpretation is inherent in the Heideggerian method as described by Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner (1989). Participants were guaranteed confidentiality and were free to withdraw from the study without prejudice at any time. Prior to data collection, this study was reviewed by the Institutional Review Board, Ball State University, for approval for human subjects' protection. Data were analyzed in seven stages as described by Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner (1989).The overall constituted pattern which emerged throughout the study was, "Caring is growing and discovering through giving of self." Along with this constituted pattern of caring, the following themes came through as well: "Caring as Trustworthiness", "Caring as Honesty", "Caring as Knowledge", and "Caring as Acceptance." Both the constituted pattern and the themes identified were validated by the nurse educators interviewed. / School of Nursing

Socialization into the nursing profession is essential for student nurses to develop an internalized professional identity and the corresponding professional role. The espoused professional values are the foundation for the development of professional identity and commitment to the profession. Nurse educators have a responsibility to foster students' learning for the development of the student nurse as a professional. The formation and internalization of a professional identity through acquisition of values that are congruent with those espoused by the profession facilitates professional development.The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how baccalaureate nursing students were professionally socialized into nursing values in the classroom. Mezirow's transformational learning was used to examine how nursing students came to critically reflect on personal and professional values as part of the process of professional socialization.The context for this study was a university classroom setting. A purposive sample of eight nursing students in a baccalaureate program in the first nursing, non-clinical course was used.The study used interviews, observations, and review of documents which included the informants' journals, course text, course examinations and syllabus. Two one-hour interviews were conducted with the informants at the fifth week of a seven week course and at completion. The instructor was also interviewed following completion of the course. The three classroom observations were conducted every other week to correspond with significant content areas. Journals were collected every other week.The findings suggest that nursing students do not attain the espoused professional values from the formal curriculum or role-modeling of the instructor in a classroom setting. Qualities attributed to the professional values were expressed rather than the values themselves through personal experiences. Content areas which were controversial and value-laden held the most meaning and triggered critical reflection on personal and professional values. Eight subcategories emerged from the data analysis: formal curriculum, perceived personal values, perceived values learned in the classroom, perceived values role-modeled, triggers for critical reflection, hidden curriculum, sense of belonging to the profession, and consequences of professional socialization.This study has implications for nurse educators regarding teaching strategies, nursing education and curriculum development, professions concerned with professional socialization, and adult educators interested in Mezirow's theory. Further study is recommended on aspects of belonging, triggers for critical reflection, and professional values. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (MTech (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / This study focuses on the specialised field of Nurse Case Management and the need for formal training for Nurse Case Managers (NCMs). In particular, the study aimed to establish what the outcomes should be of a learning programme for practising NCMs in South Africa. I used a descriptive survey study design. Data was collected using the Delphi technique. The Delphi technique involves questionnaires to be distributed, collation of the data returned and the distribution of a revised questionnaire for input from the participants. Each questionnaire distributed becomes a 'round' and forms part of the process of data collection. A group of experts working in the field of managed healthcare (MHC) were included as the study respondents. Consensus was reached after three rounds as to what the learning outcomes for NCMs should be. This study found that NCMs practising in South Africa require a specialised set of competencies that are not covered in the basic general nursing training. A learning programme for this area of specialisation needs to include outcomes related to relevant legislation, a code of ethics, managerial and clinical competence, administrative competence in managing contracts, good governance, research, (data analyses) and (business) reporting within the context of MHC.

M.Cur. / Caring is a natural capacity. This simply means that human beings care because they are human. It is a reciprocal process. It never takes place in a vacuum as the one caring must do it out of love, and respect for another human being and it must be done with the utmost gentleness, tolerance and consideration. In the nursing profession it is done to people who are in most instances vulnerable and in need of care. This therefore, dictates that the one caring must have appropriate values and act them out consistently. In the case of nurses, a set of appropriate professional values is needed to serve as a framework from which they can base their decisions and actions. These professional values must be such that they should facilitate caring in the product of the nursing education system. Scholars are in support of one another that as much as caring is a natural phenomenon, this must be taught and nurtured. Much has been said about the decaying moral fibre of the South African society. The nursing profession also does not escape this scourge. The Department Education recommended that a working group be formed to look at and work on 'values education to teach new values to the generation to come'. The ANC through its Ethical Transformation called for a moral renewal of the society. The nursing education system called for a caring campaign. The aim of this study was to describe guidelines to facilitate internalisation of professional values in student nurses to make them caring professionals. To realise this goal, the researcher undertook a quantitative and qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual approach. The design was conducted in four (4) phases. Data was collected from the nurse educators through focus group interviews and from the student nurses by means of naive sketches. In phase 1 of the design, the groups were separately asked to describe their perceptions about which professional values they regarded as important for nursing. They were further more asked to describe how these professional values should be taught to student nurses in order to make them caring practitioners. Conceptualisation was undertaken in phase 2. Phase 3 focussed on document analysis to evaluate if the identified professional values and teaching strategies were reflected in the college curriculum. Guidelines were described in the last phase. These was to be used by the nurse educators and student nurses to facilitate caring in the practitioners of nursing The results of the study indicated that the groups identified appropriate professional values as well as teaching strategies to be used to facilitate caring. The documents that have been evaluated indicated and supported this. Some of the professional values as well as teaching strategies were indeed reflected in the college curriculum. The only problem that was noted was that the evaluation done in the college did not seem to support if these professional values are taught, or if the teaching strategies were indeed used. The tests and examination papers evaluated seem not support this. It also became clear that nurse educators needed to be moral agents or become role models to their students in this regard. From the guidelines it was highlighted that the values identified must form part of the college curriculum and be displayed on the college walls to be seen by all. The following guidelines were spelled out. Educators must periodically receive in service training on those teaching strategies that facilitate caring. It came out clearly that the quality assurance team must place values education high on their list of priorities. A concerted effort must be engaged in by all the stakeholders to ensure that both the formative and summative evaluations conducted in the nursing college reflect inclusion of identified professional values. Emphasis must be placed on the affective domain as it has been noted that teaching and evaluation in this domain are difficult to implement. The recommendations that emanated from the study are based on the findings that although values and teaching strategies were reflected in the college curriculum they did not seem to be appropriately taught and evaluated. It was, therefore, recommended that the guidelines described in the study be implemented. The researcher further recommended that the caring attitudes of nurse educators be explored, as they are the primary socialising agents.

M.Cur. / There is a tendency that the registered nurse migrate from the public health sector to the private hospital. In the private hospital the registered nurse is faced with demands to render a consumer orientated service. The greater demands on the registered nurse within the independent nursing practice has the result that her striving for professional and personal wholeness is impaired, leading to ineffective functioning as an independent nursing practitioner. The purpose of this study is to develop an orientation programme for registered nurses. This will facilitate professional and personal wholeness. The purpose is operationalized by means of a qualitative descriptive study, that explore and describe the experience of the registered nurse in the private hospital, as well as the expectations of the doctor (as consumer)). From these two aspects the obstacle were identified that can encumber the registered nurse to function as independent nursing practitioner. Three sets of premises were drawn up out of which the contents of the programme were differentiated by means of inductive logic. The subjacent philosophical elements of the. orientation programme are the Nursing Theory for the Whole Person (whole person), the adult as learner and accompanied self study.

M.Cur. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Cur. (Professional Nursing Science ) / Curriculum evaluation of Community Nursing at the Ann Latsky. Bona Lesedi and Coronation Nursing Colleges was done on the basis of Stake's curriculum evaluation model which was used as point of departure and altered to comply with the specific requirements of the curriculum evaluation of Community Nursing. The purpose of the evaluation was to identify inadequacies in the curriculi and to initiate improvements. Firstly, the intentions of the Nursing Colleges with regard to the Community Nursing curriculum were described. Secondly, certain observations were made' by way of. among other things. questionnaires to enable the researcher to make further delineations. In the third instance. standards were described which is important in evaluating curriculi. The curricular were evaluated on the basis of the details gathered. Lastly. guidelines were laid down to serve as a source for improving curriculi. Observations made included the following: - Students are uncertain of their readiness for community nursing immediately after training. - Only one of the Community Nursing lecturers at the three Nursing Colleges has sufficient clinical experience in Community Nursing. - Sixty four per cent of the clinical practitioners who took part in the study do not fully agree with the objectives set down for practical work in Community Nursing. - Students are generally satisfied with Community Nursing content. - Some of the guidelines set down by the researcher for the improvement of the Community Nursing curricular are: - Management must come to an agreement with. among others. local authorities to enable lecturers to be appointed in a part-time clinical position to improve their clinical experience...

M.Cur. / The aim of this study is to describe a quality improvement programme for nursing education in the private health care services. In the present economic climate of South Africa everybody strives towards quality service and as a result it has also became a customer demand. The learning accompanist is thus faced with the challenge to create a service which accommodates the expectations of the student as the customer. In the dynamic interactive relationship between the learning accompanist and the student, the student has the right to receive quality education which would enable him/her to function as an independent practitioner with critical and analytical thinking skills and able to provide quality nursing. The paradigmatic perspective that guides this research is based on metatheoretical, theoretical and methodological assumptions. The metatheoretical assumption utilised the Nursing Theory for the whole person, whereas the theoretical assumption utilised three sources:- the Nursing Theory for the Whole Person, the Quality Improvement Model of Muller (1986) and the Adult-Learner proposed by Knowles (1980). The methodological assumptions of this study are based on Botes' research model (1992), which imply a functional approach to practice of nursing science. The expectations of students regarding quality nursing education in the private health care services were initially explored by means of focus group interviews and these ideas are supported by literature searches. The sample population was N = 76 and the sample realization was N =12 for the focus group interview. Trustworthiness was ensured using the strategies proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1985: 290). A questionnaire based on this data was constructed to confirm these expectations as well as to explore-the theological dimension ("how") of the identified expectations. Analysis of the resultant data enabled the generation of specific statements which embodied the expectations with respect to the learning accompanist, nursing education and the system (N=9). In chapter four the conceptual framework is described based on the identified concepts.. relevant national and international literature. Trustworthiness was ensured by means of sound literature scrutiny and literature analysis (N=64). From the analysis of the description of the conceptual framework, six main and related concepts which resulted in concise and clear statements on nursing care could be generated (N =30). The contents of a desirable quality improvement programme were drawn up by means of deductive and inductive reasoning from these statements. The resultant programme focuses on the actions which should be carried out in order to improve quality in nursing education in the private health care services.