GERONTOLOGIC LEARNING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE NURSING HOME SETTING.
Contributors: Kent State University.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 218
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.
Description: Gerontologic nursing education's present lack of a descriptive data base to guide curricular development promoted purposes in this study for description of gerontologic nursing experiences, the development of concepts and meanings from classroom theory and clinical experiences, and students' development of practical knowledge and engagement in reflective practice. The need for an analytic framework to understand the full range of gerontologic nursing experiences was evident from the review of literature on the body of knowledge in gerontologic nursing, clinical learning for professional practice, development of practical knowledge, and engagement in reflective practice.

The study design used a descriptive, ethnography of the lived experience of nursing students in a nursing home while they were learning the theory and technologies of clinical practice. Data collection involved course materials, observation in the clinical setting, student-kept journals of their experiences, a Q sort for students' perceptions of known conceptual domains and constructs in gerontologic nursing, a post-sort interview, and a follow-up interview.

Assumptions underlying this study were for gerontologic nursing experienced in a multidimensional and holistic context of classroom theory and clinical practice; curricular concepts and meanings developed and held by students derive from their learning experiences; and practical knowledge and reflective practice begins with the novice practitioner in the educational setting. The limitation of this study was the generalizability to other gerontologic learning experiences; however, the analytic framework for inquiry demonstrated can be used in other settings and has significance to educators in gerontologic nursing for understanding student learning.

Findings indicated two dominant factors in the thinking and perceptions of students about gerontologic nursing: Factor A (compensatory) with a concrete, textbook-oriented, and direct or proactive care approach to elderly; and Factor B (complementary) with a supportive, educative, and indirect or a shared care approach. Findings and distinctions in the factor loadings were discussed in addition to presentation of student profiles. Students indicated rules and principles in development of novice practical knowledge that were unclear, but held an image of "nursing home" in care of the elderly. They engaged in reflection with problem solving (Schon's Model I) unfacilitated in the intended curriculum. Recommendations were made for further research into students' curricular concept and meanings.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-12, Section: A, page: 4209.

Thesis (PH.D.)--KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, 1991.

School code: 0101.