The transition experience of Enrolled Nurses to a Bachelor of Nursing at an Australian university

Abstract

Endorsed Enrolled Nurses (EENs) articulating from diploma level to Bachelor of Nursing (BN) studies at university experience many transitional barriers. Flexible credit arrangements can create further difficulties because students may enter directly into the second year of a degree program, thus foregoing supportive interventions targeting first year students. This qualitative study explored the transitional barriers faced by EENs articulating to the second year of a BN program and the processes employed to adapt to the university learning environment. Lizzio's (2006) Five Senses of Success Model provided a framework for data analysis. Lizzio's model highlights how students' success at university depends on their sense of purpose, capability, resourcefulness, connectedness and academic culture. This study revealed EENs grapple with their dual identity, have difficulty reconciling their academic and clinical competence, and struggle to assimilate to the academic learning environment. Findings illuminate the importance of tailoring orientation and engagement activities to the specific transitional needs of articulating students.

Enhancing student nurses' medication calculation knowledge; integrating theoretical knowledge into practice

“…One of the difficulties with teaching medication administration is the differing levels of students with undergraduate nursing programs and the challenge for academic staff is to address the disparate student learning needs (Hutchinson et al, 2011). Most Australian universities have multiple entry points for Bachelor of Nursing students and this needs to be considered in the teaching and assessing of students to ensure consistency in student understanding of safe medication administration (Hutchinson et al, 2011).…”

Assessing the Impact of Embedding Online Academic and Information Literacy Resources into a First Year Business Course

“…Initially, the Five Senses of Success framework was introduced to support student retention and engagement within the first year, but this has been expanded to incorporate the whole student lifecycle (Lizzio, 2011). The use of the Five Senses of Success framework to examine the student experience is supported in other studies that evaluate student support and engagement, and adds metrics that are meaningful outside of the library environment (Burnett & Larmar, 2011;Chester, Burton, Xenos, & Elgar, 2013;Hutchinson, Mitchell, & St John, 2011;Sidebotham, Fenwick, Carter, & Gamble, 2015). The Five Senses of Success framework indicators can be aligned with those characteristics that have been previously used to evaluate e-learning programs, such as usability, content richness, flexibility, and learner community (Chiu, Hsu, Sun, Lin, & Sun, 2005;Lu & Chiou, 2010;Wang, 2003).…”

Mapping Nursing Pathways

“…Whereas the scope of practice and supervisory requirements of each role differ, both require registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The registered nurse practices both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team (NMBA, 2006), whereas the enrolled nurse functions in an associate role, providing supervised nursing care as delegated by the registered nurse (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2002;Hutchinson, Mitchell, & St John, 2011).…”

“…This project identified inconsistencies in the processes and amount of credit awarded to nurses who held a diploma qualification. Up to 1 year of credit (or equivalent) for entry into a nursing baccalaureate program was given in most instances (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, 2014;Hutchinson et al, 2011), although anecdotal evidence suggests it could be as much as 18 months. This credit may be applied to all subjects in a single year or distributed across more than 1 year.…”

“…Much work has also been completed in respect of the scope of practice of the enrolled nurse role (Corazzini, Anderson, Mueller, Thorpe, & McConnell, 2013;Cox & Prendergast, 2014;Hoodless & Bourke, 2009;Jacob et al, 2013;McEwan, 2008) and comparisons with the RN role (Chaboyer et al, 2008;Eagar, Cowin, Gregory, & Firtko, 2010;Jacob, Sellick, & McKenna, 2012). Two studies were identified that specifically explore the transition of enrolled nurses to baccalaureate programs in Australia (Hutchinson et al, 2011;Laming & Kelly, 2013;Pryor, 2012). Only one study was identified that compares enrolled nurse and registered nurse preparation in the current context (Jacob, McKenna, & D'Amore, 2014).…”