Learning through structured peer discussion: An observational study

Abstract

Background: Clinical experiences are an essential foundation of nursing education. While there have been many significant investigations into models of clinical education and student learning, how students ‘make sense’ of their experiences is less well investigated. Senior nursing staff in a tertiary health service partnered with nurse researchers to explore how students can learn more about practice through structured discussions with peers to promote shared understandings. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the contributions to student learning from structured peer discussions about patient care. Design: Exploratory observational study of the effects of learning circle discussions on individual understanding of patient care. Setting: A metropolitan health service in southeast Queensland, Australia. Participants: 72 Bachelor of Nursing students in Years 2 and 3. Methods: Students developed concept maps about patient care prior to peer discussions, and subsequently added further concepts (in another colour of text) after those discussions. Researchers' review of student generated concept maps and coded concepts indicated a five a priori ways of knowing categories: empirical, aesthetic, ethical, personal and socio-political. Descriptive analysis of categories was then conducted. Results: Empirical knowing was high in both groups, with more concepts included in Year 3 student maps. Aesthetic knowing was relatively high in both groups. Socio-political knowing was lower than anticipated overall. Personal and ethical forms of knowing were rarely included on the concept maps. Conclusions: While clinical placement is valued for developing empirical and aesthetic forms of knowing, the other forms of knowing have value for patient and family care and warrant strategies to improve their further development. Developing strategies to support student learning of ethical and personal forms of knowing deserves further investigation.