Abstract
Aim
This study aims to offer an original analysis of how community nurse practice teachers learn to enact their role.
Background
Nurse education has relied on the transmission of knowledge and competence taking place in practice settings under the guidance of qualified practitioners where knowledge is transmitted from one individual to another.
Method
A constructivist grounded theory approach was applied to a study of thirty community nurse practice teachers. Practice teachers were interviewed using a lightly structured interview approach during 2005 and 2006 following University and NHS ethical approval.
Findings
This study found that practice teachers considered relationships, nurturance and care to be of central importance, leading to emphasis being placed on providing experience for students and formative assessment rather than on direct teaching, summative assessment or the meeting of professional competencies. A number of key differences between the way novice and experienced practice teachers saw themselves functioning were discovered. These differences were theorised to explain the finding that novice practice teachers were much more likely to identify students as experiencing major difficulties than experienced practice teachers.
Conclusion
In conclusion practice teachers learn to enact their role within a socio-cultural context drawing upon a transformation approach to learning. This approach becomes firmly established over a period of approximately three years and is at odds with the current emphasis on competency based transmission models of learning.
This study aims to offer an original analysis of how community nurse practice teachers learn to enact their role.
Background
Nurse education has relied on the transmission of knowledge and competence taking place in practice settings under the guidance of qualified practitioners where knowledge is transmitted from one individual to another.
Method
A constructivist grounded theory approach was applied to a study of thirty community nurse practice teachers. Practice teachers were interviewed using a lightly structured interview approach during 2005 and 2006 following University and NHS ethical approval.
Findings
This study found that practice teachers considered relationships, nurturance and care to be of central importance, leading to emphasis being placed on providing experience for students and formative assessment rather than on direct teaching, summative assessment or the meeting of professional competencies. A number of key differences between the way novice and experienced practice teachers saw themselves functioning were discovered. These differences were theorised to explain the finding that novice practice teachers were much more likely to identify students as experiencing major difficulties than experienced practice teachers.
Conclusion
In conclusion practice teachers learn to enact their role within a socio-cultural context drawing upon a transformation approach to learning. This approach becomes firmly established over a period of approximately three years and is at odds with the current emphasis on competency based transmission models of learning.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 558-563 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Nurse Education Today |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2011 |
Keywords
- community nursing; practice teaching; professional education; qualitative research; grounded theory; students with difficulties; competence
