The phenomenographic outcome space of nurse educators' conception of nursing students collaboration in clinical skills lab

Abstract

Aim

This study aimed to understand the variety of nurse educators' conceptions of nursing students' collaboration in clinical skills lab activities.

Background

Collaborative learning has gained attention in nurse education as an educational approach that supports learning and professional development. However, research is deficient concerning nurse educators in faculty-based education and their conceptions of student collaboration.

Method

The study adopted a phenomenographic approach. A purposeful sampling of nurse educators teaching in a skills lab setting was conducted at five universities in Sweden. Individual interviews with sixteen nurse educators were performed between November 2023 and February 2024. The interviews were analysed following phenomenographic procedures.

Results

Four different description categories were identified: the purpose of collaboration, the didactic activities for collaboration, the student's intrapersonal skills, and the group activity skills. The outcome space presents the purpose of collaboration as the most complex descriptive category.

Conclusion

The educational purpose of collaboration should be settled by the faculty of nurse education and aligned to the collaborative requirements in the nursing profession. Introducing didactic activities specifically contextualized to the nursing profession and including peer observations and feedback in a formative manner may facilitate the development of collaboration.