The paper discusses training nursing skills, a quantitative study of Nursing student’s experiences before and after clinical practice. It evaluates the impact of clinical practice in the entire matrix of training nurses (Solvik & Struksnes, 2018).
The research questions were, what degree of satisfaction did the students have with the learning sessions and their organization before and after practice? The second question the research sought to answer is what were the perceptions of the students towards practical sessions? These two questions formed the basis for analysis based on the various variables of the study group.
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The sample population was made up of 160 students divided into two groups of Class 1 N=79 and Class 2 N=81.Class 1 was selected to serve as the test group with Class 2, serving as the control group. Each class was then divided into two, forming four groups that would undergo four training sessions.
The variables in the study were both dependent and independent. The variables within the sample population included age, presence, or absence of clinical experience and the extents of training that each had. The study variables that were constant for all participants were the period within which the interviewees filled the questionnaires, either before or after training. Some of the variables were measured numerically as the students indicated their ages in the questionnaires. In contrast, elements like clinical experience and extent of training were reported in the questionnaires using brief statements.
The questionnaires had multiple statements that the students would indicate whether they agreed or refuted using five points Likert scale. The entries were then analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The use of a Likert scale to collect data is preferred among researchers due to its universal nature. It is an easily understood data collection tool that enables ease in the analysis of information. The scale allows the respondents to make a choice without compulsion freely; the data is thus a more accurate reflection of the respondent's position compared to a yes-no question.
The questionnaires were coded with codes that represented the individual students and their class affiliation with the entries made into SPSS. Frequency tables were set up, and the Mann Whitney U tests, as well as the Kruskal-Wallis tests, carried out. The 1 st on two groups and the 2 nd test on three groups. Mann-Whitney U test compares the differences that exist between two independent groups. The Kruskal-Wallis tests help identify whether there exist any statistically significant differences in statements between two different groups. These two tests compared statements between the two defined groups. Pearson’s correlation charts were also drawn to help examine a possible relationship between the two groups of statements.
A large number of 85% appreciated that the practical session was a better way to prepare and help them understand the skill compared to the classroom teaching.47% of the respondents appreciated that they should have been better prepared than they were when getting into the practical. Respondents with prior experience, 98% reported as being confident after the practical with only 78% of those without prior experience reporting as being confident of performing the task after the session. There were no significant differences in the responses with respect to age.
Some of the threats to the internal validities of the study include the student’s individual attitudes and personalities that may make them timid or confident. Timid students naturally tend to have no confidence in spite of proper training. The design of the study is not able to capture and eliminate any biases that originate from personalities. A possible external validity threat that would affect the responses would be in the nature of the accompaniments that come with the practical skills training. If students had more free time during the practical sessions, they are likely to associate this freedom with the practical sessions and have a favorable disposition. The accommodation, meals, and treatment in this new different learning environment could have a positive addition, yet the actual assessment is only for the bedside assessments.
References
Solvik, E., & Struksnes, S. (2018). Training Nursing Skills: A Quantitative Study of Nursing Students’ Experiences before and after Clinical Practice. Nursing Research and Practice , 2018 , 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8984028
