Qualitative Analysis of the Value Base of Student Nurses.

Authors: White, S., White, S.J., Tait, D. and Scammell, J.

Conference: SRHE Annual Confernce

Dates: 10 December-12 November 2014

Abstract:

Abstract Background: The value base of nursing has been identified as having a profound influence on the caring practices of nurses. In the United Kingdom (UK) several influential reports on standards in healthcare have criticised the recruitment strategies adopted by universities, arguing that nurses are recruited who lack the values to develop and deliver compassionate care. Aim/Goal: This paper will report on findings from an audit of values of new entrant nursing students prior to educational intervention. It is part of a longitudinal project to support and enhance a humanising value base for nurse education.

Implementation: The humanising values framework (Todres & Galvin, 2013) underpins the undergraduate nursing curricula at this university. During programme induction, 210 general nursing students completed a Values Clarification Exercise (VCE) and brought it to a seminar during week 1 of the programme. During the seminar, small groups of students who were asked to compare, contrast, summarise and discuss the views presented within the anonymised VCEs. With permission the VCEs were then collected to enable a whole group thematic analysis of the exercise with the intention of sharing the findings with them at the end of their first year.

Result: Preliminary findings reveal that students when asked about the purpose of nursing readily described caring behaviours and factors that enabled and inhibited the demonstration of these. Some also articulated a link between care and feeling valued. Clinical relevance and conclusion: The results indicate that contrary to some political rhetoric in the UK, at this stage students have the ‘right values’ on entering nurse education. However some literature suggests that these values may be challenged as students’ progress through the programme. The potential of a nursing curriculum based around a humanising values framework is explored as a means to nurture the ‘right’ values to influence nursing practice.

Source: Manual