Position Statement
As a group, we believe that the challenges of learning for nursing students depend on a number of factors and cannot be viewed as a single mechanism that is caused by precise criteria. The learning process is often subjective and, as Alton (2016) notes, various strategies are designed to solve any problems that arise during the preparation of junior medical staff. Some factors are also crucial and may cause problems when learning the material. According to the study conducted by Baraz, Memarian, and Vanaki (2015), nursing students note “the incompetency of the nursing instructors and non‑supportive learning environment as the most important challenges of clinical learning” (p. 54). Consequently, some external factors have a significant impact on the learning process and may have a negative effect on the perception of the learning material. Therefore, the problem under consideration is multifaceted and requires an integrated approach to its solution.
Traditionally, the barriers of learning are divided into external and internal. As Cherry and Jacob (2016) remark, external barriers are the difficulties of a social nature caused by the mistakes of upbringing, the conditions of communication, and the unsuccessful experience of emotional and social contacts. Also, the authors argue that internal complexities imply such personality traits of students as aggressiveness, anxiety, rigidity, tension, and other features (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). There is a close relationship between these challenges. Reflecting in the psyche, external barriers turn into internal ones. They are fixed in emotional-sensory and cognitive forms, thereby spreading their influence on many types of human activity, including educational (Mooring, 2016). The need to take into account external and internal barriers in the learning process is an essential task, and the use of appropriate techniques described in the academic literature can help to achieve positive learning outcomes.
Question 1
Clinical learning is an integral component of nursing practice and becoming a successful and qualified specialist (O’Mara, McDonald, Gillespie, Brown & Miles, 2014). How should the conditions be met in order for the student learning process to correspond to modern educational standards and to be able to provide effective training for professional staff?
Question 2
Constant cooperation with colleagues and sharing with experience can be a successful mechanism for obtaining new knowledge and establishing contact in the learning team (Corrigan & Curtis, 2017). How is it possible to achieve good student interaction in the learning process and allocate roles in the performance of certain tasks effectively without taking into account any external factors?
Question 3
External and internal barriers that are formed due to various factors are an obstacle to the educational process and often disrupt the normal mode of learning. What means of combating these barriers exist and which of them are the most effective in the nursing environment?
Question 4
Some character traits allow forming spirituality, which is an indispensable attribute of nursing practice and helps to achieve effective patient outcomes (Narayanasamy, 2014). What other qualities allow developing oneself as a professional nurse in spite of any possible barriers that occur during the learning process?
External Factors of Challenges of Learning
The influence of external factors on the learning process is the topic of many academic articles. Authors examine this question and give different opinions regarding the ways to overcome these challenges. As the means to deal with external barriers effectively, many scholars mention motivation and personal desire for growth.
Vocation, Motivation and Approaches to Learning: A Comparative Study
One of the articles that examines the problem of the influence of external factors on the learning process and ways to solve this problem is the paper “Vocation, Motivation and Approaches to Learning: A Comparative Study” written by Arquero, Fernández-Polvillo, Hassall, and Joyce (2015). The authors argue that there is a difference in the learning of students of different specialties and focus on the nursing profession, noting that this sphere attracts many motivated people (Arquero et al., 2015). As an approach to overcoming barriers, personal desire to develop is one of the key ones.
Small Group Learning: Graduate Health Students’ Views of Challenges and Benefits
The article “Small Group Learning: Graduate Health Students’ Views of Challenges and Benefits” by Jackson (2014) considers the theory of work in small groups as one of the ways to overcome learning difficulties. An online survey is used as the method of data collection. The author came to a conclusion that “students experienced a range of challenges that necessitated the development of problem-solving strategies” (Jackson, 2014, p. 117). As a proposal to improve the productivity of the learning process, new and innovative methods for more effective work in groups are encouraged to introduce.
Motivation and Personal Challenges While Enrolled in Higher Education: The Pathway to Becoming a Baccalaureate Nurse
Another academic article that examines those external factors that cause challenges in the learning process is the paper “Motivation and Personal Challenges While Enrolled in Higher Education: The Pathway to Becoming a Baccalaureate Nurse” written by Kelly et al. (2017). Here, as barriers preventing nursing students from doing well, the authors mention financial situations and other life difficulties that do not depend on people (Kelly et al., 2017). Motivation is considered to be one of the most successful mechanisms for overcoming difficulties and achieving high learning outcomes despite external factors.
References
Alton, S. (2016). Learning how to learn: Meta-learning strategies for the challenges of learning pharmacology. Nurse Education Today, 38, 2-4. Web.
Arquero, J. L., Fernández-Polvillo, C., Hassall, T., & Joyce, J. (2015). Vocation, motivation and approaches to learning: A comparative study. Education + Training, 57(1), 13-30. Web.
Baraz, S., Memarian, R., & Vanaki, Z. (2015). Learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments: A qualitative study in Iran. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 4, 52-60. Web.
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management (7th ed.). St Louis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Corrigan, S., & Curtis, E. A. (2017). Facilitating informal learning in nursing. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 23(1), 22-27. Web.
Jackson, D. (2014). Small group learning: Graduate health students’ views of challenges and benefits. Contemporary Nurse, 48(1), 117-128. Web.
Kelly, S., Zavotsky, K. E., Delany, E., Pagani, C., Duffy, C. P., Haqq-Stevens, E., & Young, M. (2017). Motivation and personal challenges while enrolled in higher education: The pathway to becoming a baccalaureate nurse. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(11), 14-22. Web.
Mooring, Q. E. (2016). Recruitment, advising, and retention programs – Challenges and solutions to the international problem of poor nursing student retention: A narrative literature review.Nurse Education Today, 40, 204-208. Web.
Narayanasamy, A. (2014). The challenges of teaching and learning spirituality in nursing. Journal of Nursing Care, 3(189), 2167-2168. Web.
O’Mara, L., McDonald, J., Gillespie, M., Brown, H., & Miles, L. (2014). Challenging clinical learning environments: Experiences of undergraduate nursing students.Nurse Education in Practice, 14(2), 208-213. Web.