The development of self skills in an authentic learning environment: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Pedagogy

Background:

• The healthcare environment demands critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Learners require well-developed self skills for authentic problem-solving.
• Nurse educators often assume learners possess these skills without explicit instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurse educators' perspectives on developing learner self skills.
• To identify strategies for fostering self skills within authentic learning environments.
• To formulate recommendations for enhancing self skill development in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, contextual research design.
• Purposive sampling of 20 nurse educators.
• Semi-structured individual interviews analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña method.

Main Results:

• Nurse educators should create authentic learning environments that promote self skills.
• Learners should be engaged in activities that consciously evoke authentic self-awareness.
• Evaluation of developed self skills and metacognition is crucial.

Conclusions:

• Developing self skills enables learners to provide quality patient care.
• Enhanced self skills equip learners to solve complex healthcare problems.
• Learners can better manage cognitive complexity and develop professional identity.