Discussion group: experiences and expectations of newly graduate nurses before joining the professional work force (Part I)
Section: TEACHING TO LEARN
Authors
Epifanio Fernández Collado
Position
Director del Área Académica de Enfermería. Universidad Europea de Madrid.
Contact address
Universidad Europea de Madrid. Urbanización ?El Bosque?. C/ Tajo, s/n. 28070 Villaviciosa de Odón (Madrid).
Contact email: epifanio.fernandez@uem.es
Abstract
We will be studying the experience of being and feeling as a nurse, ones self experience. This new situation, the realisation that you have become a nurse, cannot be understood only from positivist methods, as these only permit to make logical and mathematical inferences based on raw data. In fact, these methods do not lead to a true science on aspects of our lives, for instance being nurses and colleagues, in the different scenarios of everyday professional practice. A human being cannot be interpreted or understood singularly by a science that is based only on the recollection or measurement and verification of raw data. A person cannot be treated scientifically in the same manner as a biological entity is treated. The scientific methods used by naturalism do not let us understand or get to know human beings as individuals, not to mention being or feelings as a nurse. A person that only exits in self-interpretation cannot be understood by a science that aims exclusively at neutrality. This science just tells us how objects work but not necessarily what they are.
Bibliography is abundant and can be used to bring us closer to understanding how students train and learn. However, not too many articles exist that provide hints, some guidance or relates the experiences, perceptions and expectations of newly nursing graduates before they are thrown into the working arena as nursing professionals. The study here depicted deals with these aspects.
For presentation purposes, the work is divided into two parts (two articles). This is because it is important to reflect not only the results but also the entire process that has led me to such results and from which one learns, the actual process is learning. In this first article, I develop the theoretical framework of reference for the analysis and description/use of the selected methodological instrument: focus discussion group. In the following article, part II, the field work, results and discussion are presented.
Keywords:
focus group; discussion group; vision; expectationsrigorous criteria in qualitative research
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