The effect of concept teaching in preparing nursing students for clinical practice

This experimental study compared three strategies for concept teaching, using concepts basic to interpretation of electronic fetal monitor patterns. Generic baccalaureate nursing students from two different universities were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. After the treatments were conducted (instruction), students' ability to identify concepts on fetal monitor patterns was tested before they entered the clinical setting, and again 6 to 7 weeks later, at the end of their clinical experience. The treatment group receiving instruction using all teaching variables prescribed in the Tennyson-Cocchiarella model for concept attainment (Group 3), had a significantly higher mean at p less than .05 on the first test than the other two groups. Differences were maintained on the second test. In fact, the mean of Group 3 was the same on the first test (prior to entering the clinical setting) as the means of the other two groups after completion of the clinical experience.