How do undergraduate nursing students learn in the hospital setting? A scoping review of conceptualisations, operationalisations and learning activities

Abstract

ObjectivesAlthough clinical learning is pivotal for nursing education, the learning process itself and the terminology to address this topic remain underexposed in the literature. This study aimed to examine how concepts equivalent to ‘learning in practice’ are used and operationalised and which learning activities are reported in the nursing education literature. The final aim was to propose terminology for future studies.DesignThe scoping framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley was used to answer the research questions and address gaps in the literature. Two systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, EBSCO/ERIC and EBSCO/CINAHL between May and September 2018: first, to identify concepts equivalent to ‘learning in practice’ and, second, to find studies operationalising these concepts. Eligible articles were studies that examined the regular learning of undergraduate nursing students in the hospital setting. Conceptualisations, theoretical frameworks and operationalisations were mapped descriptively. Results relating to how students learn were synthesised using thematic analysis. Quality assessment was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.ResultsFrom 9360 abstracts, 17 articles were included. Five studies adopted a general, yet not explained, synonym for learning in practice, and the other approaches focused on the social, unplanned or active nature of learning. All studies used a qualitative approach. The small number of studies and medium study quality hampered a thorough comparison of concepts. The synthesis of results revealed five types of learning activities, acknowledged by an expert panel, in which autonomy, interactions and cognitive processing were central themes.ConclusionsBoth theoretical approaches and learning activities of the current body of research fit into experiential learning theories, which can be used to guide and improve future studies. Gaps in the literature include formal and informal components of learning, the relation between learning and learning outcomes and the interplay between behaviour and cognitive processing.

Experiences and needs of nursing students during pandemic outbreaks: A systematic overview of the literature

“…Another aspect to emerge from this overview is the need to find creative ways of enabling students to complete their education on schedule despite the suspension of clinical placements. This issue of flexibility in relation to the acquisition of clinical skills has, in fact, been discussed previously in the literature ( Stoffels et al, 2019 ). What the current pandemic highlights is the need to be open to the possibility of new learning environments and activities that remain possible despite lockdown restrictions, for example, telephone consultations for patients.…”

“…Flexibility has also been necessary with regard to clinical placements, relocating students to settings without isolation measures. This does not have to undermine their education, since any clinical setting may provide opportunities for learning, as noted in the scoping review by Stoffels et al (2019) . Edwards et al (2019) analysed the reflective journals of eight nursing students who were on clinical rotation in a hospital to which a patient with EVD was admitted.…”

Coronials: Nurses who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Will they be better nurses?

“…Psychological support was offered as needed, and we sought to create a care network under the motto “Look after yourself, and look out for other students so that no-one feels alone, no-one feels like giving up”. As Hayter and Jackson (2020) suggest, we felt obliged to do whatever we could to minimize the negative impact on students and to promote their learning and personal growth, helping them to understand their feelings and the role they were being asked to fulfil, one with which they might not yet identify ( Stoffels et al, 2019 ). We do not yet have objective data regarding the benefits of the online supportive community, although many students have told us how valuable it has been.…”

How do practically trained (student) caregivers in nursing homes learn? A scoping review

“…Much research has been done to explore ways (student) RNs learn and acquire knowledge. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] However, less is known about the ways caregivers within NHs learn in work-based settings, even though in Western society the vast majority (about 80%) of the care and support in NHs is provided by them. [25][26][27][28] To the best of our knowledge, no reviews have previously synthesized the available research on ways this group of caregivers learn.…”