Registered Nurses’ Beliefs Regarding the Preparedness of Nursing Students Who Have Completed the DEU Program
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Authors
Heidelburg, Tavithia
Issue Date
2017
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
registered nurse , nursing thesis , College of Sciences and Health Professions , Amankwaa, Linda
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to explore beliefs of Registered Nurses’ regarding the
preparedness of nursing students’ who have completed the Dedicated Education Unit
(DEU) program. In response to nursing shortage in the U.S., nursing education programs
are expanding to keep up with the demand. A critical aspect of nursing education is the
clinical experience. An innovation in the clinical teaching environment that promotes
evidenced-based practice and high quality clinical education are vital components of the
Dedicated Education Unit (DEU). The Dedicated Education Unit was modeled to
increase collaboration within healthcare institutions and the student clinical experience.
The DEU offers hope for a more positive clinical learning experience with greater
opportunities for clinical advancement and successful transition to nursing practice for
undergraduate nursing students. The DEU Model of Clinical Instruction serves as the
theoretical framework for this study. This quantitative pilot study using a descriptive
approach provided necessary information from surveys to evaluate nursing students’
readiness to practice upon completion of the DEU program from the belief of the RN.
Survey data obtained regarding RN’s beliefs of nursing students’ readiness to practice
upon completion of the DEU was explored for this Pilot Study.
Description
Tavithia Heidelburg always had a dream of being nurse and a teacher since the beginnings of her memory! She would dress up like a nurse and pretend her sisters were my patients, making sure they learned every detail about their illness. When she started her college experience, she majored in Biology with a Pre-Med minor. As there was never a doubt about her career path, she went on to pursue nursing.
She has been a registered nurse now for over 10 years and thoroughly enjoys what she does. Uniquely during her career, she was given the opportunity to be a preceptor and mentor to undergraduate nursing students and new graduates. Over the years through interaction with students, new grads, and patients, she found that there was not only a knowledge deficit on the patient level but the professional level as well. She was very disturbed by the education gap in the clinical arena. As the saying goes, “as things change, so do the people” thus prompting her to further her education in Nursing.
She completed her Masters of Science in Nursing in the Spring of 2017, with concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Naturally, her learning precedes everything she does! She believes that only through educating herself first, is she able to influence others through education. Her future plans are to pursue a career as an FNP and continue to her research in the field of clinical education.