The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the RN to BSN student's perceptions about what they need from curricula and the faculty to meet their educational goals. In addition, the study looked at the relationship between student identified needs and those identified by the faculty in regard to the RN to BSN curriculum.Evidence was collected using three focus group interviews with RN to BSN students and three focus group interviews with faculty who teach in RN to BSN programs. The number of participants in faculty focus group totaled 13 while participants in student focus groups totaled 16 participants. Individual follow-up interviews were conducted with participants from five of the six focus groups.A total of 50 concepts and a total of 20 subcategories were identified as significant as a result of the student data analysis. Seven themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) reasons for seeking BSN degrees (personal reasons, job advancement or maintenance, bridge to graduate school); 2) curricular content (nursing research, nursing leadership/management, health assessment, politics, computer technology, and general education); 3) curricular outcomes (professionalism, professional self-esteem, critical thinking); 4) institutional factors (advising and admissions processes, separation from traditional BSN students); 5) teaching methodologies (discussion, sharing, student presentations); 6) adult learning principles (self-direction, choices, peer learning, respect for experience); and 7) accommodations (acknowledgement for multiple roles, convenience, flexibility, credit for previous work, choices, physical environment). / Department of Educational Studies

The critical shortage of nurses has resulted in the recruitment of an increased number of nontraditional students who frequently fill multiple roles in addition to their student role. Minimal research has been conducted with this population enrolled in a college environment designed for traditional students.The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience and margin-in-life of re-entry women enrolled in two traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in central Indiana. The theoretical framework for the study was McClusky's Power Load Margin Theory and the population consisted of ten re-entry nursing students who volunteered for participation. Demographic data was collected using a researcher designed tool and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant. Participants completed Stevenson's Margin-in-Life Scale and demonstrated an average margin of 0.60492.All interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and subjected to systematic phenomenological analysis inspired by the work of Max van Marten resulting in the identification of five main themes entitled success, support, transitions, challenges, and relationships. Success was comprised of three sub-themes including motivation for returning to school, persistence or determination to complete the nursing program, and time management strategies. Support included two sub-themes of support from family and friends of the participants and support from self-care strategies.The transitions theme included feelings of anxiety upon returning to college and academic difficulties encountered. The challenges theme was comprised of financial challenges and challenges encountered balancing multiple responsibilities. The fifth theme, relationships, included relationships with university faculty and staff and relationships with fellow students.Simultaneous triangulation was employed applying quantitative and qualitative methods at the same time in order to enhance the understanding of the lived experience of the participants. In an attempt to present a visual image of the interaction between the five themes and the margin-in-life, the researcher conceptualized a model entitled the Margin-in-Life Model.The five themes identified and margin-in-life scores provided rich information about the lived experience of this group of re-entry women. Further research is needed to gain a more complete understanding of this population and implications for nursing education. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of the study wass to describe the professional and personal development of nursing students who were placed at the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Abused Women and Children for the service-learning trial run of this Gender-Based Violence module i

M.Cur. (Nursing Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purposes of this study are to determine the extent to which nursing education administrators accept the use of an adapted Montessori method in teaching basic nursing skills and to determine the feasibility of implementing such a method.

This study investigated current use of American Association of Colleges of Nursing guidelines in preparing the baccalaureate nurse graduate to practice nursing in the community health sector of the healthcare delivery system and use of community based healthcare delivery sites by baccalaureate programs located in non-urbanized and urbanized areas. The extent of guidelines adoption, plans by colleges not currently using them to do so in the future, and impact of accreditation visits on the adoption of the guidelines were also explored. A qualitative survey design was used to describe the use of AACN guidelines in the development of baccalaureate nursing education.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a visual concept map that could assist nurse educators in explaining the concept ‘nursing’ so that students have a similar understanding, meaning and interpretation thereof. Methodology: An exploratory and descriptive qualitative study was conducted to develop a visual conceptual map that can help in the common understanding and interpretation of the concept ‘nursing’. Research approach: A qualitative research approach was used. The research approach consisted of four phases: Phase 1: A self-designed online questionnaire was used to obtain information from the nurses, registered with South African Nursing Council (SANC) and members of Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA), about their interpretation of the meaning of ‘nursing’. Phase 2 included the integrative review that was used to obtain in-depth meaning of the concept ‘nursing’ from relevant literature and documentation. Phase 3: The two sets of analysed data from Phase 1 and Phase 2 were combined and used to develop the visual conceptual map. Phase 4: The developed visual concept map was validated by the nurse educators inaugurated in Sigma Theta Tau International, the Africa Region Chapters, in order to provide a validated visual concept map based on their expertise in Africa. The outcome of the study: A validated visual concept map, agreed upon by nurse educators inaugurated in Sigma Theta Tau International, the Africa Region Chapters, based on their expertise in Africa, is available and may be of great benefit for nurse educators in teaching the meaning of the concept of nursing to student nurses in their institutions. As a teaching tool, this concept map might assist educators in explaining the meaning and interpretation of the concept ‘nursing’. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Nursing)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The shortage of nurse educators has an effect on the training of current and future nurses. A shortage of nurse educators leads to the inability to increase the number of student nurses, which results in a lack of trained nursing staff to meet the healthcare needs of the South African population. There is a need to gain an understanding of why nurse educators enter into and remain in academia versus the reasons why nurse practitioners – specifically registered nurses (RN) – choose to enter into and remain in practice. The prioritised reasons for entering into and remaining in nurse academia were investigated with a focus on: i.) The difference between the reasons why RNs enter into and remain in nursing practice ii.) The difference between the reasons why nurse educators enter into and remain in academia iii.) The difference between the reasons why RNs enter into nursing practice and reasons for nurse educators entering into academia iv.) The difference between the reasons why RNs remain in nursing practice and reasons why nurse educators remain in academia A descriptive, quantitative design was used to explore the factors that lead to nurses entering into and remaining in academia. An on-line, self-administered survey was used as the primary data collection instrument. Data was tabulated and presented in histograms and frequencies. The study found that: i.) RNs enter into and remain in nursing practice for the same reasons ii.) That nurse educators enter into and remain in academia for different reasons iii.) That RNs enter into nursing practice and nurse educators enter into academia for different reasons iv.) The primary reason for RNs remaining in nursing practice and nurse educators remaining in academia are the same The shortage of nurse educators is critical and it is essential that NEIs begin to institute plans focussing on the reasons behind nurse educators’ decision to stay in nursing education. Private NEIs should use the findings of this study to focus on areas that indicate satisfaction with the position rather than dissatisfaction in order to develop specific attraction and retention strategies.

The purpose of this study was to explain and describe the perspectives of student nurses at a private nursing education institution (NEI) in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, on the use of information technology (IT) in nursing education. A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive research design was selected to determine the respondents’ perspectives on IT and identify challenges that they encountered. The target population included all student nurses registered at the private NEI for the Bridging Programme for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General Nurse (R683) and the Advanced Diploma in Medical and Surgical Nursing Science with specialization in either Critical Care, Trauma and Emergency, or Perioperative Nursing (R212). The researcher developed and used a structured self-administered questionnaire for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study highlighted that the respondents acknowledged the importance and benefits of IT in nursing education and the profession, but encountered challenges in using IT. The study found that the respondents owned at least one IT device, used IT frequently for study and work purposes, reported IT competence, and had positive attitudes to IT. The researcher made recommendations to improve the use of IT in nursing education and for further study. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The aim of nursing practice is to provide evidence-based care that ensures quality outcomes for patients, families, healthcare providers and the health care system. This may only occur with increased exposure to nursing research. Nursing education institutions should therefore ensure that students are prepared to provide evidence-based care by participating in and conducting research. The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the challenges faced by nurse educators in teaching research methodology and supervising undergraduate nursing students at a university in order to make recommendations to support nurse educators in teaching research and supervising research projects. Qualitative, explorative, contextual and descriptive research was conducted to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurse educators. Data were collected through a focus group discussion. Nine nurse educators participated in the research study. Participants acknowledged that they faced challenges in teaching research methodology and supervising research projects. The challenges described pertained to human resources; research experience, competencies and guidelines; physical resources; and a lack of support from their institution’s management. Based on the challenges, recommendations were made to address the lack of specific competencies, research guidelines, student/educator ratios, physical resources and technology issues / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)