Altered nursing student perspectives: Impact of a pre-clinical observation experience at an outpatient oncology setting

Abstract

This study examined the influence of an observation experience at an outpatient oncology setting on first-year nursing students. This experiential learning opportunity occurred prior to any formal clinical practice course. A hermeneutic phenomenology approach was used to uncover pre-licensure nursing students' perspectives about cancer, as well as their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of registered nurses in cancer care both before and following their experience. A total of 10 nursing students agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews following which data were analyzed and interpreted to understand the meaning in the experience. Two overarching themes were identified including circles of relationships, and the many sides of outpatient oncology. This study reveals that experiential learning in the form of a low-risk, observation-only experience may be an opportunity for pre-licensure students to gain new perspectives about cancer care and nurses roles in caring for individuals and families who are impacted by cancer.

Using Phenomenological Hermeneutics to Understand the Experiences of Managers Working with Quality Improvement Strategies in an Assisted Living Facility

“…Because phenomenology deals with the experience of individuals, this approach was used for understanding the experiences of managers who were involved in the implementation of quality improvement projects in an assisted living facility. The approach was hermeneutic because it allowed researchers to explore and interpret these experiences in light of what they already knew about the topic under consideration (practical and theoretical knowledge) [21,22]. The unique feature of the study was that one of the researchers in the project had significant experience in the implementation of quality improvement projects in skilled nursing facilities.…”

“…The researchers engaged two research assistants in this project. One student (research assistant) was charged with the recruitment of participants, the distribution of consent forms, scheduling interviews, and helping with data collection for the study [22]. The second research assistant completed an in-depth study of qualitative research methods and assisted with data analysis of the project.…”

“…Because one of the researchers had a significant background in the application of QI strategies in a long-term care organization, bracketing allowed the researcher to put aside pre-existing ideas/thoughts, attitudes and/or opinions about the topic (e.g., how QI strategies should be implemented and problems faced when QI strategies are implemented in long-term care settings). Bracketing helped to minimize the influence of potential bias [22,28]. Two email invitations were sent to the eligible participants.…”

Innovative approaches to teaching vascular access to nursing students in the COVID-19 era

“…The VAIN curriculum, encompassing multiple teaching strategies including self-paced knowledge acquisition through multimedia learning, experiential learning environments, and simulation-based teaching to practise invasive procedural skills (Bloomfield & Jones, 2013;Glover et al, 2017;Paquet & Marchionni, 2015;Powell et al, 2019), was developed to maximize learning outcomes. Multimedia learning, also known as e-learning, is an interactive, computer-based method of knowledge transfer used to deliver specific content (Bloomfield & Jones, 2013;Paquet & Marchionni, 2015).…”

Nursing Student Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Patients With Cancer After Education and Mentoring: Integrative Review

“…Powell et al, 2019 (Canada) [11] Study conclusions note that training and education can help support knowledge and attitudes. Nurses in the study with more experience and training had more positive attitudes noted.…”