Biomedical subjects

E Bethune

Publications and source records attributed to E Bethune.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Learning issues for nurses in renal satellite centres.

The introduction of 'satellite' dialysis centres has increased local access to renal services for patients living in rural and remote areas across Australia and is, therefore, consistent with rural health policies. Rural health strategies also aim to maintain and improve the skills of health professionals through regular review of the scope of their practice and evaluation of the education required. Yet, the results of the present national study of nurses working in satellite dialysis centres indicate that, for many, the context of practice influences their ability to access ongoing professional education to support and extend their nursing practice. The present study showed that there was a range of educational backgrounds among nurses working in rural 'satellite' centres with reportedly limited access to specific dialysis-related professional development. In the present paper we report on factors that influence the ability of nurses working in satellite dialysis centres to access ongoing professional education.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Staffing of undergraduate clinical learning programs in Australia.

Clinical practicum experience arguably forms a critical role in the undergraduate preparation for registration to practice as a professional nurse. Whilst there appears to be a consensus about the importance of practical experience in nursing education, there has been limited research exploring the nature of clinical learning within undergraduate programs and validity of current approaches. A national survey of undergraduate preregistration Bachelor of Nursing courses was conducted to determine the scope and focus of clinical learning programs in Australia. Selected case studies were conducted to develop an understanding of contextual issues influencing the delivery of the clinical learning programs. Findings reveal a range of clinical supervision models employed and the staffing mix used to support those models. Issues associated with the selection and preparation of staff to support clinical learning relate to geographical location and economic resources. There is little empirical evidence that any of the models currently in use lead to quality outcomes, rather an eclectic use of models arguably facilitates meeting short-term demands of a constantly changing educational environment.

Australia↗

PubMed1999

Registered nurses' perceptions of teaching: constraints to the teaching moment.

Nursing literature indicates that patient teaching is an integral role function of the nurse. While some authors suggest that patient teaching is an essential part of nursing care, others argue that nurses are not adequately prepared to assume the role of teacher. This study explores the context within which nurses engage in patient teaching, revealing tensions experienced on a day to day basis within the practice setting. The principles of teaching and learning are also explored, raising questions about the extent to which nurses utilize these principles to guide the teaching moment. It is asserted that nurses find it difficult to engage in activities which are pivotal to the provision of quality patient education. Whether this is because they have little awareness or understanding of the principles of education, or whether this is related to the milieu in which teaching takes place, is explored.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1998

Nurses as patient-teachers: exploring current expressions of the role.

An exploration of nursing literature reveals a broad acceptance of the role of patient-teacher. While patient-teaching has become widely accepted as part of nursing practice, there is little published evidence to support an assertion of its centrality in current nursing practice. Patient-teaching has been variously described, yet there is evidence of polarity in its construction. This polarity is between a health promotion empowerment framework and a mechanistic-interventionist framework. Further, there is little visible consensus about the scope and boundaries of patient-teaching by nurses. Preliminary findings from a pilot study of nurses' perceptions of patient-teaching reveal tensions created within these contradictory frameworks. Nurses find themselves positioned as paternalistic in their approach to patients and simultaneously subservient to other disciplines in determining the focus of patient-teaching.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1997

Critical thinking skills: the role of prior experience.

The critical thinking skills students bring with them on entering university courses will necessarily have a bearing on how they manage their studies and gain new knowledge. This study examined postgraduate nursing students' perceptions of their gains in critical thinking abilities through engagement in off-campus studies after three semesters of study. Data for the study were collected by survey methodology. Descriptive statistics were derived and correlation analyses performed using SPSSx. This study indicates that for most skills, the differences between those students with prior university experience and those without it in perceptions of change in skill ability were not marked. For most critical thinking skills, about one half or a little more of the students perceived an overall positive shift in their abilities. For some skills, however, there were marked differences in the proportion of students perceiving a shift in skill ability, and possible explanations are offered. The results also indicate that a considerable proportion of the students surveyed perceived a lack of critical thinking skill development. As a result questions can be raised about how off-campus students without prior university experience engage with tertiary studies. The implications of these findings in terms of the development of off-campus nursing course materials and student learning are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

The commodification of specialty nurse education.

The nexus between tertiary nursing education and employment was strengthened during the 1990s when universities became involved in delivering a plethora of specialty graduate certificates and diplomas which largely replaced hospital-based post-registration courses. These university-based courses can be seen as contributing to the commodification of education as well as the legitimisation of a stratification of nursing knowledge through which biological sciences and experiential knowledge remain privileged. In the development of specialist nurse education courses, it is vital there is an accompanying examination of whose interests are being served by the models adopted. In particular, there is a need to contest the dominance of service needs in shaping nurse education. Rather than continuing to respond with uncritical acceptance of courses that are characteristically highly technical and vocational in nature, nursing needs to explore curriculum models that enable students to choose their course pathways to develop their practice. It is argued that nurse academics are complicit in reproducing power relations which continue to subjugate nurses within medical and economic discourses.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1996

Reflective journal writing in nurse education: whose interests does it serve?

The use of reflective journal writing has become popularized in the past decade. This paper uses the experience of two university lecturers to problematize this practice. The practice of journal writing in nursing courses is explored firstly through the lens of critical theory and secondly that of post-structuralism. This paper challenges nurse academics to confront the power relationships established by the adoption of journal writing uncritically into courses.

Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate↗