Students perceptions of the operating room as a clinical learning environment

Date
2014-12
Authors
Meyer, Rhoda
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Students undertake their clinical placement in various clinical settings for the exposure to and acquisition of skills related to that particular context. The operating room, for example, is a context that offers the opportunity to develop critical skills related to the perioperative care of the patient. Despite the numerous studies that have been undertaken in this field, few studies that have investigated the operating room as a clinical learning environment in the South African healthcare system have been published. The aim of this study was to determine students’ perceptions of the operating room as a clinical learning environment in a private hospital context. An exploratory, interpretive and descriptive design generating qualitative data was utilized. Data was collected from nursing students undertaking their training at a private nursing education institution. Ten nursing students participated in an open-ended questionnaire (N=10), and twelve students participated in the focus group discussion (N=12). From the results, four themes emerged, namely, ‘interpersonal factors’, ‘educational factors’, ‘private operating room context’, and ‘recommendations’. This study has highlighted some of the challenges experienced by students in the private sector operating room context. Despite the potential learning opportunities, the key findings reveal negative perceptions of students regarding learning experiences. However, the opinion that the operating room offers an opportunity to gain skills unique to this context, as well as facilitates the integration of theory and practice, was also expressed. Some students reported that the emphasis on profitability and cost to patient, and the lack of a mentoring process in this context posed a constraint to learning. Exploration into the specific preparatory needs of students specific to learning outcomes before operating room placement should be considered. It would also be necessary to improve collaboration between lecturers, mentors and theatre managers so that a structured teaching programme may be developed for students entering the perioperative environment.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Studente onderneem hul kliniese plasing in verskeie kliniese omgewings vir die blootstelling aan en aanleer van vaardighede wat verband hou met daardie spesifieke konteks. Die operasiesaal, byvoorbeeld, is ’n kliniese omgewing wat die geleentheid bied om kritiese vaardighede te ontwikkel wat verband hou met die perioperatiewe versorging van die pasiënt. Ten spyte van die talle studies wat in die operasiesaal onderneem was, het slegs ’n paar studies uit ’n Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsorg oogpunt, die operasiesaal as ’n kliniese opleidings omgewing ondersoek. Die doel van hierdie studie was om studente se persepsies van die operasiesaal as ’n kliniese omgewing in ’n privaat hospitaal konteks te bepaal. ’n Ondersoekende, verklarende en beskrywende ontwerp wat kwalitatiewe data genereer, is gebruik. Data is ingesamel van verpleegstudente wat hul opleiding by ’n privaat verpleegonderrig instelling ontvang. Tien verpleegstudente (N=10) was genooi om ’n onbepaalde vraelys te voltooi en twaalf student (N=12) het aan die fokusgroep bespreking deelgeneem. Vier temas het na vore gekom, naamlik ‘interpersoonlike faktore’, ‘opvoedkundige faktore’, ‘privaat-operasiesaal konteks’, en ‘aanbevelings’. Hierdie studie het ’n paar van die uitdagings uitgelig wat die studente in ’n privaat sektor operasiesaal ondervind. Ten spyte van die potensiële leergeleenthede teenwoordig in die privaat sektor operasiesaal, toon die belangrikste bevindings egter die negatiewe persepsies van studente jeens hierdie kliniese omgewing. Die opinie is egter ook uitgespreek dat hierdie omgewing ook ’n geleentheid aanbied om unieke vaardighede aan te leer. Dit bied ook ’n geleentheid om teorie en praktiese kundigheid te integreer. Sommige studente rapporteer dat die klem op winsgewendheid en koste vir die pasiënt, asoók die gebrek aan mentorskap in hierdie kliniese omgewing ’n beperking plaas op die leerproses. Die spesifieke voorbereidings behoeftes van studente insake leeruitkomste voordat plasing in die operasiesaal omgewing geskied, moet eers deeglik ondersoek word. Dit is ook nodig om die nodige samewerking tussen dosente, mentors en operasiesaal bestuurders te verbeter sodat ’n gestruktureerde onderrig program ontwikkel kan word vir studente wat die perioperatiewe omgewing betree.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
Keywords
UCTD, Dissertations -- Health sciences education, Theses -- Health sciences education, Nursing -- Study and teaching -- South Africa, Nursing students -- South Africa -- Attitudes, Clinical competence -- South Africa, Operating room nursing -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
Citation