Evaluation of the personal and professional development course in a nursing programme: A case study

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Date
2006
Authors
Mohamed, Rasidah
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Abstract
In the rapidly changing 21st century, nurse practitioners are expected to possess higher order thinking ability to constantly update technical skills while possessing caring attitude. To meet this demand nursing education must develop nurses with continuous learning ability and soft skills attributes of effective communication, critical and reflective thinking, teamwork, counselling, intercultural understanding, ethics, and problem solving. These attributes are developed into a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course within the Bachelor of Nursing programme. For evidence-based changes the PPD course was evaluated following the Naturalistic Inquiry method using a multi model approach. To ensure Quality Assurance (QA) of evaluation, the Donabedian QA model of evaluating the course structure, process and outcome was used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the PPD course. The course structure component of the evaluation examined the PPD course content, teaching and learning and assessment method used. The evaluation used a panel of content expert to qualitatively analyze the adequacy of the PPD course structure. The process component of the evaluation examined students’ experience of undergoing the PPD course. This was evaluated quantitatively using a Modified Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The findings were developed into open-ended questions to qualitatively obtain rich in-depth understanding of students’ opinion. The course outcome component of the evaluation was qualitatively evaluated through participant observations method of observing students in the clinical field following their PPD course. Result of the study indicated expert panels were of the opinion, the PPD course structure was developed on a sound foundation but minor changes were required. Students were of the opinion they had gained personally and professionally through the good teaching learning and assessment method used. Student learning outcome in clinical practice was also found to be positive, as most students observed were able to effectively apply the PPD attributes. Weaknesses identified included the need to ensure students understand the subjects taught by using both English and Bahasa Melayu as media of instruction. The communication, counselling, trans-cultural nursing and collaboration subjects are to be modified while ethics and health promotion topics are to be removed. The gap between theory and laboratory session needs to be lengthened and students are to be closely followed by clinical supervisors for early identification and rectification of the weaker ones. To ensure quality in students’ clinical practice experience, all clinical supervisors are to undergo a clinical supervisory course.
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PhD
Keywords
Biological Science , Nursing programme
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