What to Consider Before Beginning Graduate Education: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Neuroscience of Learning
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• College students often exhibit low metacognitive awareness, negatively impacting academic performance and increasing attrition.
• Instruction in learning strategies has been shown to improve examination scores and decrease attrition rates.
• Nurse anesthesia programs face unique challenges in preparing students for demanding graduate-level coursework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore graduate nurse anesthesia students' perceptions of wellness factors influencing learning.
• To provide students with evidence-based information on neuroscience and learning strategies.
• To assess the impact of pre-matriculation learning resources on student preparedness.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive pilot study was conducted with 34 student registered nurse anesthetists.
• Students received "The New Science of Learning" before matriculation.
• An 8-item online Likert-style survey evaluated student perceptions and self-reported changes.

Main Results:

• Student registered nurse anesthetists perceived benefits from pre-matriculation instruction on wellness and learning.
• The intervention aimed to enhance learning and prepare students for graduate-level demands.
• The study identified potential positive shifts in student approaches to learning.

Conclusions:

• Early, evidence-based instruction on wellness and learning strategies is beneficial for nurse anesthesia students.
• Providing neuroscience-based learning resources pre-matriculation can support student transition to graduate programs.
• This study offers a framework for future research on optimizing learning in specialized graduate programs.