Undergraduate nursing students' co-construction of learning spaces in a bioscience course: A qualitative study with an ecological perspective on the learning environment.
It is posited that learning spaces are co-constructed through interactions among students, resources, and institutional structures and should balance structure with flexibility, foster competence through optimal challenge, and promote inclusive relatedness to sustain motivation and meaningful engagement.
Abstract
Background
To ensure patient safety, nursing students must acquire sufficient bioscience knowledge. Previous research has emphasized the importance of high-quality learning environments and opportunities for students to act upon their learning needs. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined nursing students' construction of learning spaces in bioscience from an ecological perspective.
Aim
This study explores how undergraduate nursing students use elements in their learning environment and construct their learning space within a bioscience course.
Methods
A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Three focus group interviews were conducted in April 2024, facilitated by an interview guide, to collect qualitative data from 17 first-year nursing students. The data were analyzed using systematic text condensation, followed by interpretive analyses.
Results
Three categories emerged from the data analysis: 1) high expectations and a belief in succeeding, 2) standing together, even when alone, and 3) freedom within established frameworks.
Conclusions
The findings underscore the importance of a supportive and flexible learning environment that acknowledges students' agency and social dynamics. Drawing on ecological theory, we posit that learning spaces are co-constructed through interactions among students, resources, and institutional structures. Elements in the learning environment should therefore balance structure with flexibility, foster competence through optimal challenge, and promote inclusive relatedness to sustain motivation and meaningful engagement.
Findings support embedding mind-body practices into nursing curricula and continuing education programs, using experiential learning to foster holistic well-being, lifelong learning, and professional competence.
N. Izgu, Zehra Gök Metin· Global Nursing Insights· 0 citations
Background: Nursing students spend a substantial proportion of their education in clinical practice; hence, the quality of these environments plays a critical role in shaping students’ learning outcomes. While research finds that nursing students often encounter bullying and harassment during clinical placement, the characteristics of positive and high-quality learning situations during these placements are less clearly described in the literature. Methods: A convergent, quantitative-dominant mixed-methods study was conducted between April and June 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently; statistical analysis described prevalence and associations, while thematic analysis explored students’ experiences and contextualised the quantitative findings. Results: Statistical and thematic analyses indicated that high-quality learning emerged from the interplay of inclusion, mastery and active participation. A gradual transition from observation to independent practice, combined with appropriate challenges and opportunities for reflection, characterised the most effective learning situations. Approximately 50% of the students perceived themselves as victims of bullying or harassment, which impaired learning and prompted some to consider leaving nursing programs. The juxtaposition of positive and negative experiences highlighted team inclusion as the pivotal factor for both enhancing learning and preventing bullying. Conclusions: Being included as part of the team emerged as the main driver of positive clinical learning, whereas feeling isolated from the team was interpreted as bullying or harassment. These results indicated that well-prepared students, empowered supervisors, and inclusive organisational cultures supported by transparent reporting and response systems can provide the foundation for both high-quality learning and the prevention of bullying and harassment in clinical education.
Marianne Synnes Emblemsvåg, L. Helberget· International Medical Educat...· 0 citations
The study underscores the importance of aligning theoretical instruction with clinical practice through stronger supervision, availability of clinical materials, and improved collaboration between training schools and clinical sites to enhance student competence and contribute to quality nursing care in Zambia.
Sarah Banda, Lonia Mwape, C. Ngoma· Texila international journal...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Academic success for nursing students has traditionally focused on metrics like grade point averages and exam performance but fails to reflect key abilities such as clinical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and the effective transfer of knowledge to practice. Additionally, there is a paucity of literature investigating academic success in undergraduate nursing education within polytechnic institutions, despite their growing role in nursing education.
AIM
The objective of this study was to explore the processes and strategies undergraduate nursing students in Canadian polytechnic institutions use to achieve academic success.
DESIGN
This study utilized constructivist grounded theory methodology to explore how final year nursing students in polytechnic institutions achieve academic success.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING
From September 2023 - to December 2023, 13 final-year undergraduate nursing students from three Canadian polytechnic institutions participated in the study.
METHODS
Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using line-by-line coding with in-vivo codes, refined into focused codes through constant comparison. Conceptual insights guided theoretical sampling from online forums, while reflexivity was maintained through memo-writing and reviewing interviews.
RESULTS
The resultant theory, Navigating through Turbulence in the Nursing Talent Pipeline, describes how nursing students in polytechnic institutions navigate complex, interrelated institutional, social, and personal factors that shape their academic success. This navigation process is illustrated through cyclical and linear pathways, highlighting the iterative and adaptive ways students engage in processes to sustain momentum toward graduation and professional readiness despite ongoing turbulence.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings revealed key phases of navigation, offering a dynamic, student-centered framework that illuminates students' evolving challenges and adaptive strategies throughout their educational journey. The framework can be used to guide research, practice, and educational reform to strengthen the nursing workforce through responsive, inclusive approaches.
Harroop Sharda, L. Nowell· Nurse Education Today· 0 citations
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions involving a dual contact pedagogical intervention on nursing students' attitudes toward mental illness, and to further explore their learning experiences and perspectives. A mixed methods approach using an explanatory sequential design was applied with a single group quasi-experimental design, and a qualitative deductive approach guided by Kolb's experiential learning theory. The dual-contact intervention involving both inpatients and individuals in recovery was integrated into the psychiatric nursing curriculum. Forty-four nursing students enrolled in a five-year junior college in southern Taiwan participated in the intervention group, including 13 who took part in three focus groups. Quantitative data from three self-report scales assessing attitudes, perceived stigma and social distance were analysed using repeated one-way analysis of variance, while qualitative data from focus group interviews conducted after students completed their psychiatric nursing practicum were analysed using content analysis. There were significant differences in attitudes and social distance, particularly after contact with the individuals in recovery. Qualitative data analysis identified that the Dual Learning Strategies with Meaningful Contacts category was associated with these changes, which encompassed three subcategories: (1) Reflective learning experiences, (2) Transforming experiential insights into clinical practice and (3) Debriefing of contacts across phases of psychiatric care. Both contact-based interventions improved attitudes. Notably, engaging with individuals in recovery significantly reduced perceived stigma and social distance. Interaction with inpatients reinforced theoretical knowledge integrating clinical contexts, while engaging with individuals in recovery cultivated empathy and caregiving competencies. Both contact-based interventions provided complementary learning benefits.
Yen-Hua Shih, Mei-Yu Yeh, L. Chuang· International Journal of Men...· 0 citations