Students are also placed at civilian clinical facilities to gain the necessary clinical exposure and experience as a result of the limited learning opportunities in the military clinical facilities. This interaction with civilian healthcare professionals and civilian students inevitably leads to comparison and the forming of perceptions of one another. The participants reflected on their observations regarding the experiences of military students in the civilian clinical facilities.
3.2.3.2.1 Perceptions regarding military students
Participants maintained that there is a perception that the military students are less professional and knowledgeable than their civilian counterparts. This is so because military students working in military clinical facilities have less exposure to different disease profiles than do their non-military counterparts working in civilian clinical facilities.
But now, you go to xxxx, all of a sudden this thing called Marasmus is real. It was something that was in the book, but now it is actually real. Is it not that … that … if you insists that behaviour to … to … for them to look as if they are not so well professionalised or they are not well
conversant with the other. (FGL2–1:44)
In general, it is quite evident that, in spite of the negative perceptions articulated above, the military students project a very positive image in the civilian clinical facilities and that they are held in high regard because of their discipline, general conduct, punctuality and neatness.
What I like about the military culture is that they influence our students in a way that they have got a certain way of behaving. They behave differently from the civilian students. That is also observed by the civilian nurses out there. Our students are the type of students that all the other clinical facilities, the civilian facilities, would love to have our students. That is because of the culture of the military that our students are having when they are practising
out there. (FGL1–2:15,16,17)
So, the culture really contributes positively in the image of the Defence Force because of the way they conduct themselves. They are in demand out there. The outside facilities, they always request us to send our students there
because of the culture. (FGL1–2:21,22)
In fact, many of the registered nurses from the outside actually applaud
us on … on how well our students are disciplined. (FGL2–2:30)
They behave differently from the civilian students. That is also observed by the civilian nurses out there. Our students are the type of students that all the
other clinical facilities, the civilian facilities, would love to have. (FGL1–
2:16,17)
You know what, our things [are] helping our students to be real professional people. As we have indicated from the beginning, that our students are highly valued in a civilian life if they happen to apply because of the part of the
3.2.3.2.2 Influence of civilian exposure on military students’ behaviour
Participants were unanimous in their view that exposure to the civilian clinical learning environment generally has a negative effect on the behaviour of military students. This may possibly be due to their interaction with the civilian students. The result is that students start demonstrating un-military behaviour that runs counter to how they have been trained to behave and that they attempt to follow the example of their civilian counterparts. Such behaviour causes conflict between nurse educators and students and seems to inhibit professional growth.
If you remember, most of us we go and complain of their wrong behaviour when they are at their third year. Then, at that time, they interact with the outside world. Most of our student [are] at the third- year level, they are now starting to go out to other hospitals. Whereby they are, there is interaction of, with other students. Now it … it brings an influence of the behaviour which we were not used to, to our student. Then that is when we say we are not even sure if they are growing professionally because we are seeing now this different behaviour which we are expected in the military the student shall
behave. (FGL2–7:41)
… they start interacting with their counterpart students at other civilian
nursing colleges. There are certain things … in certain ways in which things
are done in the civilian nursing colleges which are not necessarily done in our military nursing college. So, that sort of causes a bit of a conflict, because
they want things to be done in that way. (FGL1–1:2,3,4)
3.2.3.2.3 Comparison between military students and civilian students
When comparing the military students with the civilian students, both positive and negative aspects emerged. According to the participants, military students are better than civilian students in terms of discipline and following orders.
I think if we compare our students to the other students in the other colleges we will find that … when it comes to discipline, when it comes to following
orders … But I think we have got a better product when it comes to those
things. (FGL2–1:15,16)
On the other hand, military students do not compare well with civilian students in terms of assertiveness, a sense of responsibility, inquisitiveness and self-confidence. The lack of these is ascribed to the nature of the military culture and the enforcement of discipline and obedience, which leads to what is perceived as respect and submissiveness.
The one thing that I have observed, when you are coming f rom the civilian world, comparing to the military environment, what I have seen
with the military students, they are more … I don’t know whether
somebody would be saying respectful or submissive. For, for me I have seen submissiveness, which is regarded as discipline in the military. For me, it is not okay, because if I need a student, especially where
there should be a debate of some kind. (FGL2–6:1,2,3,4)
You take the student that comes from the military and the student that come from the civilian situation, there is just a lot of … of … of difference in terms of, you know, standing up, being assertive and being responsible and asking questions. Like when doctors give orders, you will find that our student they don’t even ask anything, it is because the way we have been socialised to
say you take orders as they are, you don’t ask. (FGL1–7:47,48,49)
But other things like self-esteem, self-confidence, I think those things
sometimes fall through the rug because of the nature of the culture.
(FGL2–4:26,27)
The participants also regard the civilian students to be better than the military students in terms of cognitive abilities such as demonstrated in debating. Probably, this is also ascribable to the tendency found among military students of being scared to speak up and of being submissive rather than assertive.
I think that our students are a little bit disadvantaged in terms of that
when we compare them to outside, to the civilian students We … we
do see the scale tipping towards the civilian. I mean, the scale being
higher in terms of perhaps cognitive functioning, and that is debating.
(FGL2–4:26)
Figure 3.8 provides a summary of the hidden elements and their influence as identified from the category civilian clinical learning environment.
Figure 3.8: Mind map of the category civilian clinical learning environment (Sample A)