Presentation: Nursing Student Identity and Clinical Practice Analysis

This presentation analyzes the article "Theory and practice in the construction of professional identity in nursing students: A qualitative study" by Marañón & Pera (2015). It begins with an introduction to Patricia Benner's "From Novice to Expert" model, which describes the stages of skill acquisition in nursing. The presentation then delves into the research article, discussing its objective to understand how nursing students perceive their academic and practical training and how it influences their professional identity development. The research design, participants, and data analysis methods are outlined, highlighting the use of ethnographic and qualitative study with third-year nursing students. The presentation summarizes the study's findings, including the significance of clinical placements, the role of clinical mentors, and the value of problem-based learning. The analysis emphasizes how clinical placements provide opportunities for students to understand professional reality and gain confidence. The mentor's role in guiding students and transferring elements related to professional identification is also discussed. The presentation concludes by reiterating the importance of clinical placements and the need for further study in skill transfer for effective nursing practice.

Presentation of article
Name of the Student
Name of the University

Introduction
• Patricia Sawyer Benner was born
in Hampton, Virginia and is known
for the book ‘From Novice to
Expert: Excellence and Power in
Clinical Nursing Practice’.
• In the book she described the
dissimilar stages of skill acquisition
and knowledge, in the full career of
nurses (Benner, 1982).
• She applied the Dreyfus model of
skill acquisition to the nursing
profession.

Model of skill acquisition
• The Dreyfus model of skill acquisition
stated that learning through
simulation and experience was
important for the evolution of any
student from apprentice to expert, and
all of them had to go by five very
distinct phases of learning.
• Benner applied the theory of Dreyfus
to nursing profession by demarcating
diverse stages and ranks of clinical
competency i.e., (1) novice, (2)
advanced, (3) competent, (4)
proficient, and (5) expert (Lyon, 2015).

Article analysis
• Article title- Theory and practice in
the construction of professional
identity in nursing students: A
qualitative study (Marañón & Pera,
2015)
• Background- The nursing literature
particularly on nurses' specialized
identity is varied but contributes to a
viewpoint of concern, whether
highlighting the significance of
developing a sound individuality or
illuminating the reality.

Article analysis
• Objective- To gain an understanding into the
perception of nursing students' of their
academic and practical training and how it
manipulates the procedure of developing their
professional identity.
• Research design- Ethnographic and qualitative
study. The research had a constructivist
paradigm (Marañón & Pera, 2015).
• Participants- Third-year nursing students were
recruited from the l'Escola Universitària
d'Infermeria Vall d'Hebron de Barcelona.

Article analysis
• December 2010 to May 2012 was the
time frame of the research fieldwork.
• Inclusion criteria for participants were:
1. Third-year student in the 2010–2011
academic year (Marañón & Pera, 2015).
2. They should begin and end their nursing
studies exclusively in l'EUIVH.
3. They should participate voluntarily.
• The l'EUIVH had been using student-
centered teaching and learning method,
also referred to as problem-based
learning.

Article analysis
• Participant observation was primarily
conducted in the primary care and
hospital setting.
• Observation was followed by discussion
groups.
• The research showed compliance to the
measures of transferability, dependability,
credibility, and confirmability.
• Data analysis was done with the use of
Glaser and Straus' constant comparative

Article analysis
• 182 units related to meaning were
identified.
• 3 thematic nuclei were developed
namely, (1) The Value of Clinical
Placements, (2) The clinical placement
mentor as a key figure, and (3) Theory
and the added value of problem-based
learning (Marañón & Pera, 2015).
• The perception of students on the
association between theory and
practice during their training did not
vary from preceding reports discussed
in the literature.

Article analysis
• Clinical placements were identified as the
main elements
• They create the exceptional opportunity
to understand professional reality
• They also allow nursing students to
decide the nursing model which they most
recognize
• This allows the nursing students to gain
confidence and cope with daily problems
in clinical practice (Marañón & Pera,

Article analysis
• Problem-based learning prepares the
person to have a vision of their future role
as a nurse.
• The clinical placement mentor acts as an
vital figure in guiding the students
(Marañón & Pera, 2015).
• This helps the novice nurses to construct
their confidence and professional identity
for future practice.

Conclusion
• Besides imparting knowledge,
the mentor transfers different
elements related to professional
identification
• Professional identity is
formulated in relation to a
workplace and a group of
professionals
• Transfer of skills and clinical
placements must be extensively
studied for a good nursing
practice.

References
Benner, P. (1982). From novice to expert. AJN The
American Journal of Nursing, 82(3), 402-407.
Lyon, L. J. (2015). Development of teaching
expertise viewed through the Dreyfus model of
skill acquisition. Journal of the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning, 88-105.
Marañón, A. A., & Pera, M. P. I. (2015). Theory and
practice in the construction of professional
identity in nursing students: a qualitative
study. Nurse Education Today, 35(7), 859-863.