Author: Kathleen PlantePublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Caring
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
Caring is the essence of nursing and a core value of the profession of nursing (Beck, 1992; Bevis & Watson, 1989; National League for Nursing (NLN), 2011; Roach, 2008; Swanson, 1991; Touhy & Boykin, 2008; Watson, 1985b). There is theoretical agreement amongst researchers that caring can be learned through interactions with faculty in an environment characterized by supportive faculty-student relationships (Beck, 1992; Gaines & Baldwin, 1996). In the virtual world of online nursing education, caring behaviors displayed by faculty are difficult to convey over wires and screens where there is a lack of the spoken voice, gestures and human connection that is vital to nursing (Plante & Asselin, 2014). Text-based language often replaces the multidimensional physical characteristics of communication such as tone of voice, facial expressions and body language contributing to a potential disconnection between the faculty teacher, computer screen and student sitting in front of it. The challenge is to discover ways in which caring behaviors are demonstrated in online nursing education. A mixed method research design, grounded on Watson's theory of human caring (Watson, 1996), was used to discover which of the carative factors most highly or is least likely to demonstrate caring in an online nursing course. The quantitative aspect of the study identified caring behaviors perceived by online RN-BSN degree nursing students using a modified version of the Nursing Students' Perception of Instructor Caring instrument (Wade & Kasper (2006). Data analysis indicated Watson's first carative factor, formation of humanistic-altruistic system of values, was most important and perceived most highly when faculty displayed kindness, made themselves available to students, clearly communicated expectations, were attentive during communications, and made the student feel that they can be successful. In addition to the quantitative instrument, study participants described examples of behaviors that communicated caring in online nursing courses. The findings from this research provided contemporary data to identify which specific faculty behaviors support nursing students feeling cared for in an online nursing course. Implications for nursing education and further research are presented.
