A model to facilitate transformative learning in nursing education

Objective:Transformative learning is a learner-centered process of learning.Learners are actively engaged through critical reflection and discourse to question assumptions and expectations.The purpose of this article is to describe a model to facilitate transformative learning in nursing education.Methods:A qualitative,exploratory,descriptive and contextual design for theory generation was selected in this study to describe a model to facilitate transformative learning in nursing education.Concept analysis of transformative learning was done in the first stage of the main study using Walker and Avant's eight step approach to clarify the conceptual identification and meaning.The results of concept analysis guided data collection in the second stage.Eleven individual agenda semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurse educators to explore and describe their perceptions regarding how transformative learning can be facilitated in nursing education.Matrix building approach was used to analyse the collected data.The third stage constituted the conceptualisation of findings from the second stage using relevant literature within the elements of practice theory.The fourth stage focused on the description and evaluation of a model to facilitate transformative learning in nursing education.Findings:Four themes and nine sub-themes emerged and were conceptualised within the six elements of practice theory namely the context,agent,recipient,dynamic,process and procedure and outcome.Conclusion:The relation statements provided the basis for model description.Reliable method was used to describe and evaluate the model.The refinement of the model by experts in model development andqualitative research was made.

Nurse trainees' perception of effective clinical instructor characteristics

Objectives:Clinical education and experience in the clinical environment play an important role in shaping the clinical experience.Effective clinical teaching improves the clinical practice of the nursing trainees which in turn improves the quality of patient care.It mandates for the clinical instructor with desired qualities,to have a positive influence in clinical education.This study examined nurse trainees'perceptions of clinical instructor characteristics.Methods:The current study was conducted in a multi-cultural tertiary setting using a cross-sectional descriptive design.Using convenience sampling,302 trainees were chosen as participants for the study,and there were 296 respondents.The data were collected from the participants using the Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory(NCTEI)tool.Results:The findings of the study revealed that the clinical instructors have scored high in personality(scoring percentage=84.0%)and relatively low in teaching ability(scoring percentage=81.3%).Also,the overall perception was almost the same among all the trainees though there was a slight variation in their rating of each dimension.Conclusions:Nursing trainees indicated the instructors as having good personality and relatively low teaching ability.This mandates the clinical instructors in the clinical environment to empower themselves in this area of improvement.This helps the teaching institutions to consider all the domains of effective clinical instructor characteristics while recruitment and also organize programs giving emphasis on building and developing these characteristics to create effective instructors.