An evaluation of the problem-solving ability of diplomates from a comprehensive nursing programme

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Skills
• Problem-Solving Assessment

Background:

• Nursing programs increasingly aim to develop critical problem-solving skills.
• Assessing the effectiveness of nursing education in fostering these skills is crucial for patient care.
• South African nursing programs' problem-solving skill development requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the problem-solving ability of nursing diplomates from a program with explicit problem-solving objectives.
• To compare the problem-solving skills of diplomates with first-year nursing students.
• To evaluate improvement in problem-solving skills throughout the nursing program.

Main Methods:

• Ex post facto research design.
• Data collection via the Triple Jump Method (an interview technique).
• Comparison between diplomates, first-year students, and a control group from a non-problem-solving program.

Main Results:

• The problem-solving skills of diplomates were found to be unsatisfactory.
• A discernible improvement in problem-solving ability was observed from the first to the fourth year.
• Fourth-year students showed slightly higher performance than third-year students in the control group.

Conclusions:

• The current nursing program requires enhancement to adequately develop student problem-solving skills.
• Recommendations are provided for student selection, teaching methodologies, and evaluation processes.
• Further research is recommended to refine nursing education for critical thinking development.