INVESTIGATION USING INDEPENDENT, COLLABORATIVE PAIRS, AND COOPERATIVE GROUP PRACTICE FOR TEACHING CARDIAC MONITOR RHYTHM STRIP INTERPRETATION (NURSE EDUCATION, INDEPENDENT PRACTICE).
Contributors: University of Maryland, College Park.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 201
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Community College.
Description: Nursing educators must structure instructional units to teach accurate interpretation of highly technical data effectively and while retaining an emphasis on the skills needed to carry out the interpersonal part of nursing. Further, the instructional methods need to be time efficient and consonant with the assumptions of student-centered knowledge acquisition.

This study investigated the effects of independent, collaborative pairs, and cooperative group practice on student accuracy, student practice time during lessons and performance time in skills testing, and the nature of student questions during skills testing. Associate degree nursing students were given the same instruction on how to analyze and interpret cardiac monitor rhythm strips, followed by practice using one of the assigned practice modes during two campus skills laboratory sessions. Students were later tested with an individual skills test and a group skills test.

The independent practice students scored statistically significantly higher on the individual skills than did the collaborative pairs, but not the cooperative group practice students. All students achieved the required accuracy scores during the individual skills test or the first retest. Students using cooperative group practice were statistically significantly higher on the group skills test than the independent practice, but not the collaborative pairs practice students.

The cooperative group practice students used statistically significantly more time in the practice laboratory than did either the collaborative pairs or the independent practice students. All students completed the campus skills laboratory sessions, the individual skills test, and the group skills test in the time allotted. Cooperative group practice appeared to increase practice time and group performance time without sacrificing accuracy of interpretation.

Differences in the number and type of student questions and in group member participation suggested that the cooperative group practice structure impacted interpersonal communication and performance time to a greater extent than the other two practice structures during group tasks. Cooperative group practice strategies place more emphasis on key interpersonal skills such as asking for and giving information, verifying information, and seeking clarification and understanding.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-05, Section: A, page: 1656.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK, 1993.

School code: 0117.