FIELD ANALYSIS OF NURSING EDUCATION MODELS DESIGNED FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 147
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.; Education, Adult and Continuing.
Description: Four nursing education programs enrolling non-nurse college graduates at the master's level were the focus of this descriptive exploratory study. The purpose was to identify curriculum characteristics of generic master's programs using Mackenzie's (1964) focal points for curriculum change: (a) faculty, (b) students, (c) arrangement of coursework, (d) teaching methods, (e) materials and facilities, and (f) time.

The methodology used was a field analysis during site visits to each of the programs. Data was collected by group focus interview, informal interview, observation, and review of program documents. An inductive analysis of data using Lofland's (1971) units of analysis yielded a descriptive typology of curriculum characteristics.

Faculty characteristics included two classes: (a) Facilitator/Director, and (b) Collegiality. As Facilitator/Director, faculty sought to incorporate, in both formal and informal ways, the prior experiences of the student. Other activities of faculty included the management of information in these accelerated programs as well as responding to student challenges. The second classification of faculty characteristics, Collegiality, described the faculty role as a clinician, faculty commitment to the program, and the learning provided to faculty by students.

The classification of student characteristics yielded two classes: (a) Re-assuming The Student Role, and (b) Assuming The Professional Role. Re-assuming the student role incorporated the student network, the ability to integrate past experiences, continuously seeking answers, and the student's efforts to supplement the learning situation. In assuming the professional role, the students expected a theoretical base and incorporated the role expectations of the professional nurse.

The category of arrangement of coursework was classified as Responding To Student Background And Experience. Characteristics that were identified included program efforts to use expert students as teachers, fostering the use of past experience, and the acceleration of the learning process for these students.

Characteristics of the category teaching methods included one classification, Facilitating The Achievement Of Objectives. Both students and faculty provided direction in the selection and utilization of teaching methods.

The category of materials and facilities yielded one classification, Promoting Role Development. Characteristics of this category were influenced by the availability of resources and the utilization by students.

The final category, time, was classified as Interactions. The intense focus of the program was recognized by students and faculty with considerable emphasis placed on effective use of time by students and faculty.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-06, Section: B, page: 2345.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1988.

School code: 0227.