Experiential Learning Program to Strengthen Self-Reflection and Critical Thinking in Freshmen Nursing Students during COVID-19: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This article focuses on the unique needs and concerns of nursing educators and nursing students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. During social distancing, interacting with other human beings has been restricted. This would undermine the experiential learning of nursing students. Hence, it is important to develop and evaluate an experiential learning program (ELP) for nursing education. A pre-test and post-test design were used. The study was conducted in a university in Central Taiwan. A total of 103 nursing students participated in the study from February to June 2019. The study intervention was the experiential learning program (ELP), including bodily experiences and nursing activities with babies, pregnant women, and the elderly. After the intervention, the students completed the self-reflection and insight scale (SRIS) and Taiwan Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (TCTDI) as outcome measures. An independent t-test showed that there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test in both SRIS and TCTDI (p < 0.01). The Pearson product–moment correlation analysis showed that SRIS and TCTDI were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01). ELP has a significant impact on the self-reflection and critical thinking of first-year nursing students, which can be used as a reference for the education of nursing students. During these turbulent times, it is especially vital for faculties to provide experiential learning instead of the traditional teaching concept.

Effect of community-based education on undergraduate nursing students’ skills: a systematic review

“…1. Seventeen articles published during 2004-2020 were included: including five quasi-experimental studies, three descriptive studies, four mixed method studies, and five qualitative studies [11,12,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. The total number of participants was 1,866, ranging from 14 to 613 in each study.…”

“…In nine studies, community-based education improved communication skills with educators, patients, community members, children, adolescents, the elderly, people with disabilities, family, patient relatives, and other health professionals [11, 12, 19, 20, 25-27, 29, 33]. Nine studies mentioned increasing self-confidence [11,20,21,23,24,[26][27][28]32] and five studies mentioned increasing knowledge and awareness [20-22, 25, 28]. Promoting teamwork skills was mentioned in four studies [25,27,29,30] and improving thinking skills through education was mentioned in three studies [11,23,25].…”

“…Nine studies mentioned increasing self-confidence [11,20,21,23,24,[26][27][28]32] and five studies mentioned increasing knowledge and awareness [20-22, 25, 28]. Promoting teamwork skills was mentioned in four studies [25,27,29,30] and improving thinking skills through education was mentioned in three studies [11,23,25]. The content of the community-based curriculum and the strategy for its implementation varied across studies, but all studies were conducted in community-based settings.…”

The Uncertainty of COVID-19 Inducing Social Fear and Pressure on the Continuity of Rural, Community-Based Medical Education: A Thematic Analysis

“…In fact, their mutual understanding and effective collaboration in the administration of rural CBME can drive the smooth adaptation of the education system in this pandemic [ 35 ]. Furthermore, continuing on-site learning through an experiential learning program during the pandemic can improve medical students’ motivation and reflection on clinical medicine [ 36 ]. Based on the previous articles, medical students who are motivated to learn in rural areas can work in rural medical institutions [ 37 , 38 ], but the quality of rural CBME is critical for medical students’ motivation [ 39 ].…”

Empowering Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills During Pandemic Through Contextual Distance-Learning in Biology

“…The results showed that the learning components including constructivism, inquiry, questioning, community learning, modelling, reflection, and authentic Work-based learning applies the principles of experiential learning. If students get direct experience to gain knowledge through learning, through cooperation, reflection, questioning, and action, they will find it easier to apply the knowledge gained and increase their ability to reflect and think critically [41]. To increase the consistency and quality of work-based learning, educational institutions can make curriculum changes and innovate in conducting learning and evaluation [42].…”