Group dynamics within long-term continuing education programs

Nursing educators have responded to the need for continuing education by developing a variety of programs ranging in length from half-day seminars to several months of intensive study. Although books and articles have been written about nurses returning to school for baccalaureate degrees and the ensuing expectations, changes, and needs involved in this process, the literature revealed little information on how students, families, and faculty "live" a long-term continuing education (CE) experience. This article will examine the evolution of students into well-defined groups. The stages of group process, development of norms, assumption of roles within the groups, and factors related to conflicts are discussed. Methods used to reduce conflict and facilitate the movement of the groups to the resolution stage are presented in order to assist instructors involved in long-term CE programs.