Collaboration between first year undergraduate nursing students - A focused ethnographic study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Collaborative Learning

Background:

• Collaboration is vital for patient safety in nursing.
• Nurse education must prepare students for professional collaboration.
• Challenges in student collaboration necessitate further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore collaboration among first-year undergraduate nursing students.
• To understand student interactions during clinical skills lab practices.

Main Methods:

• Focused ethnographic approach over one semester.
• Participant observation (70 hours) of 87 students.
• Focus group discussions and thematic network analysis.

Main Results:

• Student collaboration exists in a tension between adaptation and non-conformity.
• Adaptation facilitated learning and perspective-taking.
• Non-conformity led to reduced reflection and inefficient lab work.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative activities in nursing education present both opportunities and challenges.
• Scaffolding by nurse educators can support student collaboration.
• Effective collaboration prepares students for professional nursing practice.