Abstract
Session presented on Thursday, July 21, 2016 and Friday, July 22, 2016:
Purpose: The study aimed at exploring on how the undergraduate nurses perceived the nature of assessments in their BSN programme in relation to their readiness to their professional roles.
Methods: A two-phased, cross sectional, sequential explanatory mixed method research design was used to analyze the learning processes of the under graduate nurses. In Phase 2 of the study in-depth interview instrument was generated basing on the significant analyzed results from the learning styles, learning approaches and the Critical Thinking Appraisal questionnaires. Thus, semi-structured questions were derived from key and significant findings from the analyzed quantitative data. Purposive intensity sampling strategy (Patton, 2002) was used to identify twenty participants from the health care settings. The data was analyzed utilizing the strategy by Ryan and Bernard (1998) of generating themes and categories where one theme on assessements from the six themes had emerged.
Results: The results of the study portray that the participants had perceived that the assessments in their BSN programme were teacher-centered and that had not promoted meaningful learning for practice since most of the learners were failing in the tests. The three sub-themes that emerged from the assessment theme comprised - the teaching and learning were based on assessments; the emphasis was on passing of examinations and some assessments were perceived to be simple and straight forward. The emphasis in the BSN programme was not on learning but was perceived to be based on passsing of the assessments. These assessments were constrained by time and this lead to memorization of subject content and failed to promote deep level cognitive processing and thinking among the learners which could have impacted on their level of clinical performance.
Conclusion: Understanding on how learners learned and develop is crucial specifically in the Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) BSN programme to promote quality learning for practice through sound assessments. An integrated teaching function and a combination of Socratic and Facilitative teaching methods should be encouraged through some teaching paradigm shifts.
Sigma Membership
Xi Alpha
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Assessments, Learning, Learning for Practice
Recommended Citation
Chilemba, Evelyn Baxter and Bruce, Judith C., "Undergraduate nurses perceptions on the nature of assessments in a BSN programme: A Malawian perspective" (2016). INRC (Congress). 64.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2016/posters_2016/64
Conference Name
27th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Cape Town, South Africa
Conference Year
2016
Rights Holder
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Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Undergraduate nurses perceptions on the nature of assessments in a BSN programme: A Malawian perspective
Cape Town, South Africa
Session presented on Thursday, July 21, 2016 and Friday, July 22, 2016:
Purpose: The study aimed at exploring on how the undergraduate nurses perceived the nature of assessments in their BSN programme in relation to their readiness to their professional roles.
Methods: A two-phased, cross sectional, sequential explanatory mixed method research design was used to analyze the learning processes of the under graduate nurses. In Phase 2 of the study in-depth interview instrument was generated basing on the significant analyzed results from the learning styles, learning approaches and the Critical Thinking Appraisal questionnaires. Thus, semi-structured questions were derived from key and significant findings from the analyzed quantitative data. Purposive intensity sampling strategy (Patton, 2002) was used to identify twenty participants from the health care settings. The data was analyzed utilizing the strategy by Ryan and Bernard (1998) of generating themes and categories where one theme on assessements from the six themes had emerged.
Results: The results of the study portray that the participants had perceived that the assessments in their BSN programme were teacher-centered and that had not promoted meaningful learning for practice since most of the learners were failing in the tests. The three sub-themes that emerged from the assessment theme comprised - the teaching and learning were based on assessments; the emphasis was on passing of examinations and some assessments were perceived to be simple and straight forward. The emphasis in the BSN programme was not on learning but was perceived to be based on passsing of the assessments. These assessments were constrained by time and this lead to memorization of subject content and failed to promote deep level cognitive processing and thinking among the learners which could have impacted on their level of clinical performance.
Conclusion: Understanding on how learners learned and develop is crucial specifically in the Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) BSN programme to promote quality learning for practice through sound assessments. An integrated teaching function and a combination of Socratic and Facilitative teaching methods should be encouraged through some teaching paradigm shifts.