What Is a Good Nursing Education?

−A Qualitative Investigation of Faculty Perceptions in the United States−

Abstract

　The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of good nursing education strategies among nursing faculty in the United States. A convenient sample of 10 nursing faculty members in the U.S. was interviewed. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed by the investigator. Words, phrases and sentences which similarly described specific aspects of nursing education were categorized.

　The following results were obtained. The nursing faculty considered ‘creating relationships between students and teachers’, ‘making the students excited’, ‘facilitating understanding by using samples’,‘understanding personal learning needs’, ‘role-modeling’, ‘involving students in the learning process’,‘applying new contents to prior experiences’ and ‘facilitating thinking’ to be effective instructional strategies. The faculty described ‘getting the bachelor’s degree’, ‘being a nurse’ and ‘preparing for future careers’ as educational goals. These findings corresponded to the student-centered learning approach because the student-centered environment facilitated the critical thinking skills which were emphasized as one of the abilities of the nurse, and it created a commitment to lifelong learning by increasing the students’ internal motivation to learn. Therefore, the faculty could help the nursing students to achieve the goals through student-centered learning.

　In conclusion, the perceptions of good nursing strategies among the nursing faculty corresponded to student-centered instruction.