DIMENSIONS OF FEEDBACK IN CLINICAL NURSING EDUCATION.
Contributors: University of Iowa.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 272
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the use of feedback by nursing instructors in the clinical setting and to propose suggestions for further research on use of feedback.

The primary data collection method was participant observations of a convenience sample of clinical nursing instructors and their students in the clinical setting. Formal and informal interviews and demographic questionnaires were also used, and pertinent documents were examined.

Feedback interactions were coded on several dimensions. This information is given in frequency tables. A description of the setting and subjects, teaching styles, and student perceptions is also provided.

Findings demonstrated that: feedback intensive interactions were used in achieving the two major goals that all the instructors had for the clinical experience, increasing student skills and integrating theory knowledge. Although all the instructors gave orientations that appeared very complete, most students needed personal feedback before they were certain what the instructor wanted. More feedback interactions per hour were given to students in the lower level course. Differences in the dimensions of the feedback given by the instructors seemed more related to their philosophy and teaching style and the influence of the clinical unit than to differences in students at the two levels.

While each instructor gave more positive than negative feedback overall, some individual students received more negative than positive. Instructors gave less positive feedback in patients' rooms than elsewhere. A high percentage of negative and cautioning feedback was given during procedures.

Further research efforts in this area should provide information on how students perceive feedback and how students' positive responses to feedback can be increased. Tentative suggestions for nursing clinical instruction include being aware of the role feedback plays in validating what students think is expected of them in the clinical experience. Another suggestion is that instructors consider the influence of the clinical setting on what student behaviors are given feedback and how the feedback is given.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-02, Section: A, page: 0433.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, 1992.

School code: 0096.