Pre-professional reflective practice: Strategies, perspectives and experiences

Perspectives of Nursing Students on Promoting Reflection in the Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Study

Background: Reflection increases meta-cognitive capacities, promotes student-instructor relationships, overcomes the theory-practice gap, and enriches learning. This study aims at exploring nursing students’ perspectives on the facilitators of reflective practices in the clinical setting. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 21 Saudi nursing students at one major university in Saudi Arabia. Results: Two major themes were prevalent upon thematic analysis, namely, “Personal Drivers of Reflection” which consisted of “Motivation to Learn”, “Desire to develop”, “Ethical Regard”, and “Responsibility towards patients” and “External Drivers of Reflection” which consisted of “Patient characteristics”, “Case complexity”, and “Competent Instructors”. Conclusion: As per the results of the study, nursing students perceived that they underwent reflection as a response to personal motivational and external educational aspects. According to the findings, instructors should assist students through clinical reflection, with a special focus on their interactions and motivation.

Postgraduate nursing students' perceptions of consensus marking with online oral vivas: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Authentic assessment design that fosters self-reflection and evaluation seeks to develop evaluative judgement; a capability required of registered nurses. A new method of grading, known as consensus marking, was introduced to an online oral viva that required post-graduate nursing students to evaluate and reflect on their performance and grade their level of competence in collaboration with the assessor. This study aimed to explore postgraduate nursing students' perceptions about their experience of online oral viva examination and the use of consensus marking.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using retrospective student interviews.

METHODS

A retrospective, thematic analysis of open-ended questions from students who had participated in an online viva using consensus marking that was recorded for assessment and quality improvement.

RESULTS

Postgraduate emergency nursing students perceived that the online viva while creating some anxiety was relatable to their workplace and overall, they preferred this assessment method to others. Students perceived that consensus marking enabled self-evaluation and reflection provided an opportunity for beneficial critical reflective discussions, and facilitated a positive shift in the power dynamics between the student and assessor.

CONCLUSIONS

The online oral vivas provided an authentic assessment method that, despite causing anxiety, was preferred to written assessment. The students perceived that consensus marking provided an opportunity to reflect and engage in bidirectional feedback dialogue with the assessor in a collegial discussion. Further research is required to evaluate the use of consensus marking in other assessment designs.