Factors influencing outcomes of undergraduate nursing student's education
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In 2021, approximately 509,000 undergraduate nursing students graduated from baccalaureate nursing educational programs. These new registered nurses (RNs) faced the same adversities as prior generations, including feeling unprepared to practice nursing, personal expectations did not match the reality of the situation, and working in an unwelcoming environment exacerbated by COVID-19 changes. During the time of COVID-19 changes in classroom delivery and settings brought these issues to the forefront (Dewart, 2020; IOM, 2010; NLN, 2015). There is a lack of information about nursing education modalities and their efficacy. Preliminary review documented that there was no clear evidence of which teaching modalities improve knowledge, satisfaction, self-confidence, and critical thinking. There is little research that describes the factors influencing outcomes of undergraduate nursing student's education. ☐ The aim of this dissertation was to explore factors influencing outcomes of undergraduate (UG) nursing student's education. It serves to address existing gaps in the literature and to inform recommendations for future research about the factors that contribute to the newly licensed registered nurse (NLRN) overall success as part of the nursing profession, including undergraduate education, transition to practice and motivation. ☐ This research explored nursing education among baccalaureate nursing students using a multi-faceted research approach of qualitative, systematic literature, and quantitative research methods. Study one (Chapter 2) systematically reviewed existing literature focused on the different teaching modalities and measurable educational student outcomes in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing education. The study identified three beneficial outcomes: competence, confidence, and communication skill. Study two (chapter 3) sought to explore the experiences of educational methods on newly licensed registered nurses. Two main themes emerged from the data extracted from interviews: developing connections with the profession with three subthemes: Unrealistic expectations, developing a new perspective and developing confidence and relying on what has been learned. Study three (chapter 4) was a pilot study that explored the validity and reliability of the Academic Motivation College level 28 (questions) for the nursing student population and to examine the relationship between first generation students, grade point average, working in healthcare while a nursing student, and source of funding on motivation. The outcome of the pilot study suggests that nursing undergraduate students are uniquely motivated, and the first-generation undergraduate nursing students demonstrated the highest amount of motivation among all nursing undergraduate students’ studies. Overall, this dissertation study focused on nursing education among baccalaureate nursing students using multi-faceted research of qualitative research, systematic literature review, and quantitative research approaches. ☐ Findings from this dissertation study suggest that nursing education is faced with tremendous challenges requiring a new flexibility moving between traditional classroom and online education. Nursing students are unique in their motivations which influence the way they engage in learning. Educating the next generation of nursing students will require multiple student-centered, active teaching modalities that focus on instilling and supporting motivation in the undergraduate nursing student population. Those educational modalities that foster motivation and extract the most beneficial outcomes of competence, confidence and communication skills need to be further identified and placed into the repertoire of every nurse educator. Future research should include a large national study on educational modalities that optimize the preparation of nursing students to enter practice; a multi-university-based study on motivation specific to undergraduate nursing students; and studies that explore the intersection of transition, educational modalities, and motivation.
Description
Keywords
Nursing student, Educational program, Registered nurses, Student's education