Seeking transformation: how students in nursing view their academic writing context – a qualitative systematic review

Author(s):  
Kim M. Mitchell ◽  
Laurie Blanchard ◽  
Tara Roberts

AbstractWriting practices in nursing education programs are situated in a tension-filled context resulting from competing medical-technical and relational nursing discourses. The goal of this qualitative meta-study is to understand, from the student perspective, how the context for writing in nursing is constructed and the benefits of writing to nursing knowledge development. A literature search using the CINHAL, Medline, ERIC, and Academic Search complete databases, using systematic methods identified 21 papers and dissertations which gathered qualitative interview or survey data from students in nursing at the pre-registration, continuing education, and graduate levels. The studies provided evidence that writing assignments promote professional identity development but overemphasis on writing mechanics when grading have a deleterious effect on learning and student engagement with writing. Relationship building with faculty should extend beyond what is needed to maximize grades. Suggestions for writing pedagogical reform are identified to facilitate a change in focus from mechanical-technical to transformative writing.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Anna Stålberg

Background and objectives: The academization of the nursing education has emphasized the need for students to acquire academic literacies both for educational and clinical reasons. However, for long being a practical profession, nurse students do not always reflect on the importance of being academic literate. This aim of this article was to describe the teaching of introductory academic writing to first-term students in the Swedish Red Cross University College’s nursing programme, implemented as a transprofessional collaboration project involving the Swedish Red Cross University College and the library as well as the student support unit at Södertörn University.Methods: A model was used for implementing teaching of academic literacies to first-term nursing students embedded in a discipline-specific course. The model consisted of two seminars, one introductory seminar focusing on academic writing and how to search for, read, appraise, and use research articles and one feedback seminar. Peer feedback was performed by the students. In between the seminars, the students began to work on their course assignment and later finalized the assignment using the feedback provided by teachers and peers.Results: The transprofessional collaboration in teaching academic literacies was described as successful. Teachers and students found the embedding of academic writing in a subject-specific course as useful, although – from a student perspective – demanding and partly difficult. The provision of feedback was regarded as helpful and encouraged the students to finish their assignments. Although being a team of teachers, the large class sizes resulted in an extensive workload and stressful situations. Yet another challenge, important for the sustainability of the model, was to win support for teaching academic literacies among all teachers in the nursing programme.Conclusions: The transprofessional collaboration when teaching academic literacies to first-term nursing students have indicated advantages and challenges, of which both are of importance to consider carefully in the further planning and implementation of the project.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-259
Author(s):  
Tracey L. Gendron ◽  
E. Ayn Welleford ◽  
Christine Jensen ◽  
Barbara J. Myers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Udayan Dhar

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate professional identity development among management professionals through the lens of the ideal self and personal values.Design/methodology/approachDetailed career vision essays based on the ideal self and personal values of 48 participants ranging in age from 22 to 54 were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. A theory-based classification of their personal values, collected through a survey, was also conducted as a supplemental analysis.FindingsThe visions of older management professionals were less career-oriented, more holistic, involved in a greater multiplicity of career roles, had more clarity and placed higher emphasis on work–life balance and on developing others. The older participants also reported having fewer self-enhancement values.Originality/valueThe findings demonstrate the relevance of the ideal self as a lens to study identity development and advance our understanding of professional identity development in the context of modern careers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Aultman ◽  
Rachel Wurzel

Abstract Background Obstetrics and gynecology residents face difficult clinical situations and decisions that challenge their moral concepts. Objective We examined how moral and nonmoral judgments about patients are formulated, confirmed, or modified and how moral distress may be alleviated among obstetrics-gynecology residents. Methods Three focus groups, guided by open-ended interview questions, were conducted with 31 obstetrics-gynecology residents from 3 academic medical institutions in northeast Ohio. Each focus group contained 7 to 14 participants and was recorded. Two investigators independently coded and thematically analyzed the transcribed data. Results Our participants struggled with 3 types of patients perceived as difficult: (1) patients with chronic pain, including patients who abuse narcotics; (2) demanding and entitled patients; and (3) irresponsible patients. Difficult clinical encounters with such patients contribute to unalleviated moral distress for residents and negative, and often inaccurate, judgment made about patients. The residents reported that they were able to prevent stigmatizing judgments about patients by keeping an open mind or recognizing the particular needs of patients, but they still felt unresolved moral distress. Conclusions Moral distress that is not addressed in residency education may contribute to career dissatisfaction and ineffective patient care. We recommend education and research on pedagogical approaches in residency education in a model that emphasizes ethics and professional identity development as well as the recognition and alleviation of moral distress.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abir Aly Eldaba ◽  
Janet Kesterson Isbell

In a critical study, researchers explored academic writing experiences of three international female graduate students at a southern U.S. university in order to understand their perspectives of themselves as writers across cultures, their experiences with academic writing, and their coping strategies for academic writing assignments. Findings revealed participants’ challenges and self-doubts about second-language writing abilities. Participants both challenged disconfirmation of their writing and at times were submissive as they negotiated a graduate degree program. The study demonstrates need for universities to recognize marginalized groups’ knowledge and ways of knowing and to create spaces to discuss new possibilities for academic writing experiences among international students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-42
Author(s):  
Larssyn Staley ◽  
Susan Göldi ◽  
Anna Nikoulina

Many studies have made claims for the positive effects of multimedia in education; however, there is a lack of systematic and comparable research, especially when it comes to video tutorials. This study evaluates the use and benefits of short screencast video tutorials, produced with Camtasia and published on YouTube, in preparing students for research-based writing assignments. The study employs a multi-method research design, comprising an analysis of video-tutorial viewership data from YouTube and a student questionnaire on the perceived benefits of these video tutorials. The data on how the tutorials are used, as well as the questionnaire responses, enable us to highlight which aspects of these tutorials positively affect the learning process, and importantly, how such tutorials should be adapted to be more useful. Findings indicate that the use of such tutorials is more dependent on the type of information included (e.g., theory, instructions or examples), than their length (within the range of three to six minutes). Additionally, novice, introductory-level students appear to have received greater benefit from the tutorials than students with some previous academic writing experience.


Author(s):  
Janis Davis

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine what processes facilitate, temper, or impede occupational therapy identity development in a community of practice. Methods: A multiple case design organized data collected from five in-depth interviews with occupational therapy students on level II fieldwork. A cross-case analysis was used to arrive at multiple case themes. Results: Themes emerged as responses to participation in a community of practice: a) professional relationships; b) supervision types; and c) responsibility for professional identity development. Results suggest that communities of practice have unique characteristics that either inhibit students from adopting professional identity or draw them closer to the center of the profession. Conclusions: Responsibility for professional identity development lies with both student and community of practice. These findings suggest attention must be paid to the quality of the community of practice if students are to experience a successful trajectory into the profession of occupational therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. p66
Author(s):  
Scott Gibbons

It is important to understand how teachers develop their professional identity because teacher educators and supervisors can take necessary steps to ensure novice teachers are provided necessary opportunities to cultivate their identity. This article examines research on professional identity development and explains how teachers develop their professional identity and why it is important for mentors to aid in the development process. This article draws on previous research to both define professional identity and explore the many aspects that lead to identity development in novice teachers. Findings suggest that although any experience can contribute to professional identity development, key factors have a major impact on how teachers develop their identity and the role identity development plays in pedagogical thinking. Understanding how professional identity develops can help teacher educators, supervisors, and mentors make available opportunities to build agency among novice educators, helping them to grow into reflective teachers.


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