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Students' Experiences (student + experience)
Kinds of Students' Experiences Selected AbstractsNotes from the Field: Gender Issues in the Management Curriculum: A Survey of Student ExperiencesGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 3 2000Catherine R. Smith A major Australian report recently criticized the relationship between the gendered culture of management education and business management practices, in an effort to reduce impediments to equal representation of women in management. It recommended a major overhaul of university management education, whereby institutions would review their own role in shaping corporate management cultures and practices, and raise awareness of gender issues in the classroom. This article reports on a subsequent survey that explored postgraduate business students' perceptions of gender issues in the management curriculum, and their effects on learning experiences. It suggests that a masculine ethos is perceptible in management education, which can disadvantage female and male students in different ways. The study suggests that greater awareness of gender issues should be a major consideration for management educators, to enable future managers to recognize and harness gender diversity in the workplace. [source] Student experiences of neurodiversity in higher education: insights from the BRAINHE projectDYSLEXIA, Issue 1 2009Edward Griffin Abstract The number of students with identified learning differences (LDs) of all kinds is increasing in higher education. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 27 current and previous students with a range of specific LDs by means of semi-structured interviews, using a thematic approach. The findings revealed that participants shared many life experiences and preferences for learning irrespective of their type of LD. Participants generally held one of two views about their identity as ,neurodiverse': a ,difference' view,where neurodiversity was seen as a difference incorporating a set of strengths and weaknesses, or a ,medical/deficit' view,where neurodiversity was seen as a disadvantageous medical condition. The former view was associated with expressions of greater career ambition and academic self-esteem, while the latter view was associated more with processes for obtaining the Disabled Students' Allowance. Many of the participants reported similar experiences in education and with university support; many did not feel adequately supported by their institutions. Recommendations are made for increased awareness training among lecturers and better liaison between university departments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Orthodoxy, Territoriality and Exclusion on the Picket Line: A Student's Experience of the Recent AUT/NATFHE StrikeANTIPODE, Issue 4 2006Anthony Ince First page of article [source] Writing Across the Curriculum: A Hermeneutic Study of Students' Experiences in Writing in Food Science EducationJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2005David J. Dzurec ABSTRACT: Writing can enhance learning by helping students put words to their thinking about course material. The purposes of this study were to assess the influence of a structured academic journal writing exercise on student learning in a food science class and to examine student responses to the experience. Hermeneutics, a philosophy of science and qualitative research method, was used to analyze journal data from 48 participating students during a 2-y period and involved 3 steps: (1) describing themes taken from a global reading of student commentaries, (2) reducing or relating themes to specific, verbatim statements found in student writings, and (3) interpreting or imposing meaning on the themes and the statements (Lanigan 1988). Hermeneutic analysis showed that journal writing was difficult at first but became easier and enjoyable over time, allowed students to relate course content to other knowledge, exposed students to course material multiple times allowing for better information retention, enhanced student understanding, helped students think critically, required students to prepare for class, gave students the opportunity to express opinions, and allowed students to experience writing as enjoyable and positive. Several minor themes suggested that most students found the experience useful to their learning. Findings from this study are consistent with neuroscience and cognitive psychology theories regarding learning and the development of reasoning skills. [source] Students' experience of component versus integrated virtual learning environmentsJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 4 2005M. Weller Abstract The use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) has become increasingly common in most higher education (HE) institutions. Recent developments have proposed the interoperability of software systems and content, to create component VLEs in contrast with the integrated, monolithic ones that are currently prevalent. This paper examines the student experience of two VLEs, one integrated approach and the other component. In general, students preferred the component system, although this may have been influenced by other factors such as performance. Although the study is limited to one cohort of student it makes a number of suggestions relevant to anyone deploying a VLE. These are that the component approach is a viable one from a student perspective, the broader context in which the VLE operates is important in student perception and that poor system performance may have unpredictable consequences for the learning experience. [source] Students' experience of e-learning in higher education , By Robert A Ellis & Peter GoodyearBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2010David Hawkridge No abstract is available for this article. [source] Experiencing Conversations: Bridging the Gap between Discourse and ActivityJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 3 2008ANNALISA SANNINO ABSTRACT The article introduces the Vygotskian tradition in the realist theoretical discussion of the structure-agency problem. Archer's concept of internal conversation is discussed in terms of internalization and externalization of conversational dynamics. The article addresses in particular the methodological issue of observing how external events trigger internal use of language, and how these internal dynamics are externalized. The experience of talk is proposed as a conceptual key to the understanding of internal conversations and of the relation between structured activity and agency. The experience of talk is defined with the help of the notions of emotional experience, personal sense and inner speech, as they are conceptualized in activity theory and in particular in the works of L.S. Vygotsky and A.N. Leont'ev. Students' experiences of critical conversational events with teachers are analyzed on the basis of written autobiographical accounts. The experience of talk emerges from the analysis as a form of emotional experience in which the horizon of the individual's subjective view relates to specific circumstances external to the individual. Autobiographical accounts of critical conversations are suggested as a type of data which allows access to the experience of talk. [source] Using discourse analysis and psychological sense of community to understand school transitionsJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Stephen J. Fyson The research involved examining the nature of the transition that students experienced in progressing to junior high school from primary school. Students' experiences were chosen as the focus of the research because the issue of substance being investigated was that of alienation. The main methodology that was used was the qualitative procedure of discourse analysis, implemented over a 3-year period. This report describes the findings from the first year of the study. The key findings of the research include the establishment of critical concerns of students. These critical concerns were articulated as psychological sense of community categories of interest, with positive and negative discourse descriptors being developed according to an analysis of students' descriptions of social regularities. The categories of interest were arranged into a sequential pattern that described pathways to increasing commitment or alienation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Students' experiences with and preferences for using information technology in music learning in Shanghai's secondary schoolsBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Wai-Chung Ho This study explores the centrality of information technology (IT) to Chinese students' experiences in music lessons. Students involved in this qualitative and quantitative study described the possibilities of using technology when learning music. From among the students of 15 Shanghai secondary schools, 1741 responded to a written questionnaire and 68 took part in interviews. The students' perceptions of the use of IT were grouped in relation to three categories: (1) the students' motivation to learn music, (2) their preferred musical activities and (3) the musical styles preferred for classroom learning. Most students believed that IT could provide motivation for music learning. They used IT mainly in their listening activities but believed that it could also be helpful in learning both classical and popular musical styles. The findings suggest that the use of IT could extend the boundaries of music learning in the classroom, giving rise to a multitude of new and exciting possibilities. This approach to curriculum formulation is argued to be significant in terms of developing students' technological literacy and providing rich learning environments that make use of computer-mediated communications and the effectiveness of technology and teacher fidelity in implementing pedagogy. [source] Bursaries and Student Success: a Study of Students from Low-Income Groups at Two Institutions in the South WestHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2005Sue Hatt This article draws on quantitative and qualitative data from two institutions to compare the student experience of those with and without bursary awards. Using the student life cycle model, the article examines the ways in which bursaries impact on the student experience before they enter the institution, in the early weeks of their studies and as they progress through their programmes. At these two institutions, students with bursaries were more likely to be retained and to perform well during the first year than those without bursaries. The study found that bursaries can ease financial pressures during their transition to higher education (HE) and that institution-specific bursaries can affect students' perceptions of an institution and their commitment to succeed. After 2006, those institutions wishing to charge variable fees will be required to provide bursary support for low-income students. The findings from this article suggest that HE providers should consider the timing of the bursary payments and the implicit message the bursary sends to applicants if they want to ensure that their bursaries have a positive impact on the student experience. [source] The impact of international experience on student nurses' personal and professional developmentINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 2 2004BA (hons), Cert Ed, N.-J. Lee PhD Abstract Background:, Many student nurses undertake international clinical experience during their education programmes, which raises the question ,How do these experiences impact on students nurses' personal and professional development?' Method:, A case study was conducted in one School of Nursing in the United Kingdom. Student nurses participating in a new module, International Nursing and Health Care, which included clinical experience overseas, gave qualitative accounts of their international experiences and subsequent learning. Their accounts were also compared with the perceptions and expectations of the module facilitators. Findings:, While there were some similarities in student experience and facilitator expectations, there were also notable differences. The students believed that their international experiences had a deep impact on their personal development, helping them make the transition from student to qualified nurse. The case study raised further questions about the acquisition of cultural knowledge and the facilitation and provision of learning from experience. [source] Students' experience of component versus integrated virtual learning environmentsJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 4 2005M. Weller Abstract The use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) has become increasingly common in most higher education (HE) institutions. Recent developments have proposed the interoperability of software systems and content, to create component VLEs in contrast with the integrated, monolithic ones that are currently prevalent. This paper examines the student experience of two VLEs, one integrated approach and the other component. In general, students preferred the component system, although this may have been influenced by other factors such as performance. Although the study is limited to one cohort of student it makes a number of suggestions relevant to anyone deploying a VLE. These are that the component approach is a viable one from a student perspective, the broader context in which the VLE operates is important in student perception and that poor system performance may have unpredictable consequences for the learning experience. [source] Using purposeful messages to educate and reassure parentsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENT SERVICES, Issue 122 2008Jerry Price As parents and other family members get more involved with their student's life, student affairs professionals must develop and deliver coherent, purposeful messages about the student experience. [source] Collaborative curriculum development: Clinicians' views on the neurology content of a new occupational therapy courseAUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2000Annie McCluskey Academics are often accused of being out of touch with clinical practice. This can result in graduates who are poorly prepared to work in local health-care systems. To avoid this scenario, occupational therapy clinicians in New South Wales were invited by mail to list 10 topics related to neurology, which they felt should be included in a new undergraduate curriculum. Fifty-two clinicians responded. A modified nominal group technique was then used with 10 expert clinicians, to further explore the written responses. Content analysis revealed four areas which clinicians felt needed attention in the new curriculum. These areas or themes have been named: (i) Integrated Foundation Studies; (ii) The Art of a Thorough Assessment; (iii) Treatment Approaches in Neurology; and (iv) Building Confidence. Clinicians felt that neuroscience material needed to be better integrated with professional subjects; that observational skills and activity analysis should receive more class time, and that three different approaches to motor training should be taught. More practical student experience was also recommended, on and off campus, to help increase confidence when conducting initial assessments and upper limb retraining. Information from this study will be of interest to clinicians in neurology and to occupational therapy educators across Australia. [source] Using extracurricular activity as an indicator of interpersonal skill: Prudent evaluation or recruiting malpractice?HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Robert S. Rubin There is widespread agreement that success in organizations requires more than high intellect. Thus, college recruiters commonly examine job candidates' extracurricular activities in search of "well-rounded," emotionally intelligent, and interpersonally skilled students. Intuitively, extracurricular activities seem like valuable student experiences; however, research evidence is sparse, suggesting far more questions than answers. Is participation in extracurricular activity truly linked to interpersonal skill performance? Does leadership experience make a difference? Do extracurricular experiences yield higher skill development? Six hundred eighteen business students and the relationship of their extracurricular involvement to four interpersonal skills were examined. Significant relationships were found and recruitment implications are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] An Educational Strategy for Teaching Standardized Nursing LanguagesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 1 2010Arlene T. Farren RN, CTN-A PURPOSE., The aim of this paper is to describe an educational strategy for teaching standardized nursing languages (SNL) used in both the classroom and clinical components of a psychiatric,mental health nursing course at the associate degree level. DATA SOURCES., Data included a review of the relevant literature, teaching experiences, and faculty and student experiences. DATA SYNTHESIS., Enhancing associate degree student nurses' competency regarding diagnosis and interventions is essential to influence positive health outcomes. Use of diagnostic, outcome, and intervention classifications for learning nursing care promotes critical thinking, individualization of nursing care, and students' fluency with SNL. One possible teaching strategy to assist students to learn and use SNL was implemented through the use of a faculty-developed Student Nurse Documentation Packet. CONCLUSIONS., The educational strategy provided students opportunities to enhance their experience with the SNL to plan and document care of individuals experiencing psychiatric,mental health problems. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING., The educational strategy used in this program was judged to be successful. Research is needed to provide empirical evidence of the efficacy of this pedagogical strategy for increasing knowledge and enhancing students' competency. [source] "How Come Nobody Told Me?"LEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002Fostering Self-Realization Through a High School English Curriculum Through collaboratively designed qualitative inquiry, we investigated the responses of high school students with learning disabilities to a teacher's intervention intended to promote self-realization, a fundamental component of self-determination. Activities were embedded within the general English curriculum and delivered in a special education classroom over the course of an academic year. Several themes emerged from analysis of student interviews, student responses to writing prompts and surveys, a teacher journal, and student portfolio pieces. Silence and misconceptions were prevalent in student experiences. However, through the intervention students acquired information that helped them make sense of their school experiences, redefine themselves in positive ways, and take small steps toward greater self-advocacy within their current school setting. The mediating influence of positive adult voices and concerns about social stigma were evident in students' responses, which prompted us to question teachers' and families' responsibilities for engaging young people in dialogue about special education and disability. [source] Using current consumer issues to involve students in researchINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2008Elizabeth B. Carroll Abstract The value of involving students in research has been well documented. By including students in research, active and independent learning opportunities are provided, the importance of inquiry and investigation is emphasized, and connections between course material and the discipline become evident. Relevant opportunities for involving students in research projects can sometimes be elusive. Faculty time constraints limit the number of projects that can be undertaken and the number of students involved. Furthermore, many students become intimidated when told that they are required to carry out a research project. The purpose of this study was to use current consumer issues to involve undergraduate students in a relevant research project. The research project was implemented in class settings with teams of students. Faculty selected contemporary consumer issues based upon perceived student interest and experiences as consumers. By using issues of high relevance and familiarity to students and using the team approach within a course that faculty members were already assigned to teach, the issues of time constraint for the faculty members and increased levels of comfort for students were addressed. Prior to undertaking the project, students were instructed in appropriate research methods. Research methods utilized included student development of survey instruments, collection and recording of data, interpretation of data and presentation of results. Students became familiar with various research practices. By working as team members, the students' comfort level for being involved in research increased; however, other common group challenges arose. Relevant, contemporary consumer issues carry high relevance and interest for student groups, helping generate enthusiasm for the research process. The focus on involving students in research continues to be emphasized. By using research topics related to student's experiences as consumers, students are more readily engaged in undertaking research projects. Through these relevant research projects, students' consumer decision making is positively impacted. [source] An exploration of mental health nursing students' experiences and attitudes towards using cigarettes to change client's behaviourJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 8 2010M. J. NASH msc pclt bsc (hons) rnt rmn fhea Accessible summary ,,This study explores the experiences of mental health nursing students in using cigarettes as a means of token economy. ,,The majority of the sample experienced the use of this particular intervention in various settings but also reported that other items apart from cigarettes were also used as part of a reward system. ,,Respondents generally did not like this practice, feeling that it did not work well, led to client staff conflict, was implemented in an ad hoc way and rarely recorded in a care plan. ,,An open debate on tobacco control and the use of cigarettes in behavioural change programmes is urgently required. Abstract Using cigarettes to change client behaviour is a common, yet little studied, practice in mental health care. A questionnaire survey was used to explore mental health nursing student's experiences and attitudes to this practice. The sample was four cohorts of mental health nursing students (n= 151). Of them, 84% had experienced the practice of using cigarettes to change client behaviour in acute wards (73%), rehabilitation wards (28%) and elderly care (14%). Cigarettes were used to change client behaviour in areas such as attending to personal hygiene (57%) or engaging in the ward routine (39%). However, items such as leave (60%) or drinks (tea and coffee) (38%) were also reportedly used. Of the respondents, 54% inferred that the practice did not work well with 46% stating it was not written up in care plans; 52% felt it was an ad hoc practice, 60% inferred that at times it was used as a punishment while 55% intimated that they felt bad withholding cigarettes. There are ethical and moral dilemmas around using lifestyle risk factors as rewards or using client's nicotine addiction as a means of controlling behaviour. The question of whether this intervention should ever be used, given its associated health risk, requires more critical debate in clinical practice. [source] Multimedia in the Art Curriculum: Crossing BoundariesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 3 2001Steve Long Art educators, like those in other areas of the curriculum, are under pressure from various directions to use digital technology in the classroom. Whilst some of this pressure is politically motivated I believe there are also what could be described as more legitimate educational reasons for using computers; what is lacking at this stage is a coherent body of knowledge amongst art educators as to what happens when we do use them. This article focuses on a development project which took place last year in a secondary school involving a Year 10 class in the use of multimedia software. The project was collaborative in nature and was carried out by Miles Jefcoate, an art teacher at Beacon Community College in East Sussex, a group of Year 10 students at Beacon and myself as a member of the teaching team on the Art and Design PGCE course at the University of Brighton. Supported by research funding from the University, the school was provided with multimedia software which was installed into its computer network. The design and delivery of the students' project was undertaken by Miles whilst I evaluated the impact of the digital technology on the learning taking place, with an emphasis on how Miles and the students experienced and evaluated their activities. [source] EDUCATING COMMUNAL AGENTS: BUILDING ON THE PERSPECTIVISM OF G.H. MEADEDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 4 2007Jack Martin In this essay, Jack Martin aims to remedy such oversight by interpreting Mead's social-psychological and educational theorizing of selfhood and agency through the lenses of the perspectival realism Mead developed in the last decade of his life. This interpretation understands education as concerned with the cultivation and coordination of cultural, societal, interpersonal, and personal perspectives. Within this framework, communal agency is understood as a self-interpreting, self-determining capability of persons. This agentive capability derives from immersion and participation with others within sociocultural practices and perspectives, but also includes reactivity to those same practices and perspectives. The education of communal agents as envisioned here emphasizes the social nature of education, students' experience and development, and the critical role of the teacher as a mediator between student development and social process. Such an education is grounded in the immediate experiences and perspectives of learners, but increasingly assists learners to move beyond their own experiences through engaged interaction with others and with resources for acquiring broader, more organized perspectives on themselves, others, and the world. [source] Students' ideals for nursing older people in practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING, Issue 2 2006Erica S. Alabaster MSc Aim., Drawing on research exploring nursing students' experiences of working with older people, this paper aims to demonstrate how context and culture can impact on the realization of their ideals. Background., The principles underpinning individualized and person-centred approaches to care resonate with those focal to gerontologic nursing. Restrictive contexts of care and pervasive workplace cultures render nurses unable to deliver care in accord with these. Design and method., This interpretive study was informed by phenomenological,hermeneutic theory. A purposive sample (n = 10) was recruited from a single educational institution. Data were generated in two phases using loosely structured interviews and supplementary activity. Themes explicating their experiences were identified via systematized detailed analysis and issues pertaining to nursing students' orientation towards older people cut across these. Findings and discussion., Students perceived that older people were prone to depersonalization and marginalization, so sought to show respect by coming to know individuals, form human connections with them and personalize care accordingly. Giving respect, promoting personhood, asserting reciprocal identity and maintaining dignity were prominent features of this but were often frustrated by practices and cultures encountered in mainstream settings. Conclusions., Nursing students' approaches to older people are contextual and reflect elements of person-centred ideology. Their attempts upholding their ideals are liable to be subverted by workplace norms. Preparatory education should address these, assist students to learn how to attend to personhood in restrictive environments and offer targeted placements in age-specific and non-acute services. Relevance to clinical practice., Demographic trends mean that working with older people has increased significance for nurses in most settings. Person-centredness is seen as beneficial for older people but contemporary service imperatives and enduring practices are inhibitory, preventing entrants to nursing from developing related skills. [source] Nursing students' experiences of their first encounter with death during clinical practice in TaiwanJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 15-16 2010Xuan-Yi Huang Aims and objectives., The aim of this study was to elucidate the experiences of first encountering death by nursing students during clinical practice. The objective is to assist nursing educational and clinical professionals to provide essential assistance for nursing students who encounter patient death. Background., Increasingly, deaths are occurring in hospitals. However, there has been little qualitative research in Taiwan on the experiences of nursing students who encounter patient death for the first time. Design., A descriptive qualitative method was employed to explore nursing students' first experience with death during clinical practice in Taiwan. Methods., Purposive sampling, one-on-one, in-depth with semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Participants were selected from an acute haematological ward in a major teaching hospital in Central Taiwan. Narratives were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Results., Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 12 nursing students. The average age of the students was 20, and seven and half days was the average time spent attending dying patients. Three themes and eleven sub-themes were identified: Providing Care During the Dying Period (feelings of dread and terror, hardship of experiencing patient's life fading away, devotion to patient care and self-affirmation); Facing the Moment of Patient Death (state of being scared or trapped, emotional breakdown); Adjustment after Patient Death (acceptance or avoidance, growth or escape). Conclusions., Findings demonstrate the importance of understanding such first experiences, and the results are beneficial to clinical instructors and nursing personnel in understanding the students' pressure and difficulties experienced before, during and after the patients' death. Relevance to clinical practice., Several recommendations have been made, including teaching and support not only in the period of dying, but at the moment of patient death and postmortality. Avoiding topics about death in local culture have been noted. [source] Beyond the ,digital natives' debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students' technology experiencesJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 5 2010S. Bennett Abstract The idea of the ,digital natives', a generation of tech-savvy young people immersed in digital technologies for which current education systems cannot cater, has gained widespread popularity on the basis of claims rather than evidence. Recent research has shown flaws in the argument that there is an identifiable generation or even a single type of highly adept technology user. For educators, the diversity revealed by these studies provides valuable insights into students' experiences of technology inside and outside formal education. While this body of work provides a preliminary understanding, it also highlights subtleties and complexities that require further investigation. It suggests, for example, that we must go beyond simple dichotomies evident in the digital natives debate to develop a more sophisticated understanding of our students' experiences of technology. Using a review of recent research findings as a starting point, this paper identifies some key issues for educational researchers, offers new ways of conceptualizing key ideas using theoretical constructs from Castells, Bourdieu and Bernstein, and makes a case for how we need to develop the debate in order to advance our understanding. [source] How and what university students learn through online and face-to-face discussion: conceptions, intentions and approachesJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 4 2006R. A. Ellis Abstract This paper reports a phenomenographic investigation into students' experiences of learning through discussion , both online and face to face (F2F). The study context was a second-year undergraduate course in psychology for social work in which the teacher had designed discussion tasks to begin in F2F mode and to continue online. A combination of open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews was used to investigate students' conceptions of what they were learning, their intentions and their approaches to learning through discussion. Analysis of the interview and open-ended questionnaire data identified a number of qualitatively different conceptions, intentions and approaches to learning through discussion. Associations were found between what students thought they were learning through discussions, their approaches to learning through discussion and their course grade. Students with a cohesive conception and students adopting a deep approach (to learning through online discussion) got better course grades. There was no significant difference between deep and surface approaches to F2F discussion and course grade. The outcomes of this study have implications for the design of online and F2F discussion tasks and in particular for helping students adopt richer conceptions of what they stand to gain through discussion. [source] An exploration of mental health nursing students' experiences and attitudes towards using cigarettes to change client's behaviourJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 8 2010M. J. NASH msc pclt bsc (hons) rnt rmn fhea Accessible summary ,,This study explores the experiences of mental health nursing students in using cigarettes as a means of token economy. ,,The majority of the sample experienced the use of this particular intervention in various settings but also reported that other items apart from cigarettes were also used as part of a reward system. ,,Respondents generally did not like this practice, feeling that it did not work well, led to client staff conflict, was implemented in an ad hoc way and rarely recorded in a care plan. ,,An open debate on tobacco control and the use of cigarettes in behavioural change programmes is urgently required. Abstract Using cigarettes to change client behaviour is a common, yet little studied, practice in mental health care. A questionnaire survey was used to explore mental health nursing student's experiences and attitudes to this practice. The sample was four cohorts of mental health nursing students (n= 151). Of them, 84% had experienced the practice of using cigarettes to change client behaviour in acute wards (73%), rehabilitation wards (28%) and elderly care (14%). Cigarettes were used to change client behaviour in areas such as attending to personal hygiene (57%) or engaging in the ward routine (39%). However, items such as leave (60%) or drinks (tea and coffee) (38%) were also reportedly used. Of the respondents, 54% inferred that the practice did not work well with 46% stating it was not written up in care plans; 52% felt it was an ad hoc practice, 60% inferred that at times it was used as a punishment while 55% intimated that they felt bad withholding cigarettes. There are ethical and moral dilemmas around using lifestyle risk factors as rewards or using client's nicotine addiction as a means of controlling behaviour. The question of whether this intervention should ever be used, given its associated health risk, requires more critical debate in clinical practice. [source] Medical students' first clinical experiences of deathMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2010Emily Kelly Medical Education 2010: 44: 421,428 Objectives, Many medical students feel inadequately prepared to address end-of-life issues, including patient death. This study aimed to examine medical students' first experiences of the deaths of patients in their care. Methods, Final-year medical students at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario were invited to share their first experience of the death of a patient in their care. The students could choose to participate through telephone interviews, focus groups or e-mail. All responses were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results, Twenty-nine students reported experiencing the death of a patient in their care. Of these, 20 chose to participate in an interview, five in a focus group and four through e-mail. The issues that emerged were organised under the overlying themes of ,young', ,old' or ,unexpected' deaths and covered seven major themes: (i) preparation; (ii) the death event; (iii) feelings; (iv) the role of the clinical clerk; (v) differential factors between deaths; (vi) closure, and (vii) relationships. These themes generated a five-stage cyclical model of students' experiences of death, consisting of: (i) preparation; (ii) the event itself; (iii) the crisis; (iv) the resolution, and (v) the lessons learned. ,Preparation' touches on personal experience and pre-clinical instruction. ,The event itself' could be categorised as referring to a ,young' patient, an ,old' patient or a patient in whom death was ,unexpected'. In the ,resolution' phase, coping mechanisms included rationalisation, contemplation and learning. The ,lessons learned' shape medical students' experiences of future patient deaths and their professional identity. Conclusions, A tension between emotional concern and professional detachment was pervasive among medical students undergoing their first experience of the death of a patient in their care. How this tension was negotiated depended on the patient's clinical circumstances, supervisor role-modelling and, most importantly, the support of supervisors and peers, including debriefing opportunities. Faculty members and residents should be made aware of the complexities of a medical student's first experience of patient death and be educated regarding sympathetic debriefing. [source] Promoting new-student success: Assessing academic development and achievement among first-year studentsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENT SERVICES, Issue 114 2006Jennifer R. Keup This chapter presents findings from a national research study with a sample of nearly twenty thousand first-year students on how students' experiences and campus programs affect key academic outcomes of the first year. [source] Irish nursing students' experiences of service learningNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008Dympna Casey rgn Abstract Service learning is a teaching tool that facilitates students' ability to link theory to practice while simultaneously providing a needed service to the community. This paper describes Irish nursing students' experiences of a service learning placement undertaken in a developing country. The students complete 30 h of theoretical content, which includes lectures and workshops on such topics as personal safety, health, and human rights, as well as the preparation of students for the emotional impact of the experience. All the content is underpinned by a commitment to developing reciprocal relationships with the service learning communities. To explore these students' experiences, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted. The data were collected using interviews and were analyzed by thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: developing cultural sensitivity, caring for people in different cultures, learning/knowing more, and the potential impact on nursing practice. The findings suggest that the students are more culturally aware and are becoming more responsible citizens. [source] High prevalence information from different sources affects the development of false beliefsAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Celine van Golde To examine the effects of high and low false prevalence information from different sources on false beliefs, subjects took part in two sessions. In the first session, subjects rated the plausibility of different childhood events, how confident they were that they had experienced those events and their memories of those events. In the second session, 2,weeks later, subjects received high prevalence information about one target event and low prevalence information about another. Subjects received the information in a third-person description, a newspaper article, or cohort data about previous students' experiences, or they received no information. High prevalence newspaper and cohort information increased subjects' plausibility ratings compared to no information and third-person descriptions. High prevalence newspaper information also increased subjects' belief ratings. Our findings contribute to the growing literature demonstrating the role of false high prevalence information in the development of false beliefs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||