Time spent studying on a pre-registration nursing programme module: an exploratory study and implications for...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Policy

Background:

• European Union (EU) regulations mandate specific durations for university programs.
• The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) enforces EU regulations on UK university-based nurse education.
• There is limited data on the actual time student nurses dedicate to their studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the actual learning time student nurses commit to a pre-registration diploma module.
• To compare student study time against regulatory time assumptions.
• To explore the impact of paid work on student nurse academic performance.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study involving 26 pre-registration diploma students at an English university.
• Students maintained logs of their learning activities throughout a single module.
• Analysis of logged study hours, lecture attendance, academic grades, and concurrent paid employment.

Main Results:

• The mean study time recorded was 128.4 hours, falling short of the 200-hour regulatory assumption for the module.
• Participating students achieved higher grades and attended more lectures than the module average.
• Over half of the students engaged in paid work, which did not negatively affect their academic performance.

Conclusions:

• Current regulatory frameworks for university program duration, particularly for nurse education, may be misaligned with student study realities.
• The 4600-hour course duration over three years presents potential challenges.
• Further research is essential to understand student study patterns and develop effective, student-centered programs that comply with regulations.