In clinical practice
Theme 2:
Story
telling in
class.
Learning about the emotions of nursing.
The diagram shows the flow between the fore understandings with which the work was approached; what the interrogation of the social world revealed at that time and the development of new fore understandings as a result. In other words, the diagram represents the research process as Ashworth would have the researcher practice it. However, although some sub themes were apparent it was important not to restrict the data collection to the initial two themes; doing so would mean not being open to allowing further data to come to the fore. Thorne et al (2004) argue that the “mechanics of interpretation depends far less on coding, sorting and organizing than they do on the processes of intellectual inquiry” (Thorne et al 2004. p13). They go on to suggest that researchers should consider a range of possibilities before drawing interpretive conclusions. The range of possibilities I considered is indicated by the questions and comments indicated on the diagram. I was constantly asking myself, “What does this mean? What is the significance of this?”
Through further interrogation of the social world the themes became elaborated upon; fleshed out with increasing detail. Hence after twelve months of data collection and analysis links were established between themes and new themes and sub themes which appeared through the data collection were added. Here the themes highlighted are friendships, which has been developed to include the sub themes of friendship and the community of students, ask anything, mutual help, helping each other to fit in and friendships in class. The second theme is story telling; which includes the sub themes of the importance of shared practice, vicarious learning and emotional labour. Diagram two demonstrates this development in the same diagrammatic form as diagram one.
Diagram Two
Themes & sub themes after twelve months data
collection
Fore Understandings:
In terms of learning in clinical practice student nurses learn from each other, using mechanisms which have not been fully explored & are poorly understood.
Students value peer learning in both academic & clinical settings
Students find it hard to articulate the value of the learning
Dialogue is an important part of peer learning mainly through sharing experiences (stories).
Students see clinical practice like a foreign culture.
New fore understandings:
Story telling in clinical practice takes place after the work is finished & away from the ward.
Shared clinical practice enhances peer learning in class
Students exist on the edge of the community of practice of qualified staff. Dialogue is superficial – no challenge Observed practice is assumed to be correct – no challenge
Peer learning involves teaching clinical skills to fellow students Vicarious learning experience is effective. No obvious pattern emerging 1st/2nd/3rd years. Is this professional socialisation? Need to explore
Theme Two: Story telling in class and practice
Theme One:
*Friendships & Peer learning * Same Pairs In Class In Practice Mutual Help Help each other to fit in ‘Ask anything’ Shared practice enhances learning through stories Lack of challenge
Do lecturers have a role here? Students learn through
and from each other’s experiences: Vicarious Learning *Friendships enable the sharing of stories – link established The stories shared
are emotional labour in nature
Friendship & Community
Again the diagram shows the revision and development of the fore understandings as a result of the data collection and analysis. After twelve months of data collection whilst the initial two themes remained; it became clear that this initial frame of reference was inadequate for the new ideas that were being developed through the research. Therefore the sub themes indicated in diagram two were developed to reflect the growing complexity and detail within the data. However, questions remain which require further investigation in order to provide greater clarity and indicate the continuing focus of the data collection; all the time ensuring that it is the student experience which is interpreted, as opposed to looking for what the researcher wants to find. According to Thorne et al (2004), the researcher moves in and out of the detail of the data and is “guided to focus on, and engage in, the intellectual processes that are the cornerstone of qualitative data analysis. Like the taste of a good wine, qualitative data analysis is best understood in the doing; it is inherently experiential rather than technical” (p14). Indeed I can identify with this and found the process of data analysis to be somewhat intuitive in nature. Whilst the intellectual inquiry is time consuming; for me it was crucial and part of the immersion in the cultural world of the students under study. Being close to the data was just as important as being close to the students; the data was indeed used to think and enabled me to construct the interpretations. These diagrams helped me to bring together ideas and patterns of ideas into logical and coherent themes which directly reflected the student experience.
A further example of the process of data analysis is provided in Appendix Four examples one and two which show how sub themes were revealed in the raw data.
Finally, after eighteen months of data collection and analysis diagram three demonstrates the final themes and sub themes. No new themes emerged as saturation was reached. The final fore understandings are developed and detail concerning the how peer learning takes place was evident.
Diagram Three. Themes & sub themes after eighteen months data collection.
Fore Understandings:
New insights emerging into processes of peer learning.
Students value peer learning in both clinical & academic settings.
Students find it hard to articulate the nature of that learning.
Dialogue is important in story telling but there is no challenge.
Students teach each other clinical skills – an important aspect of peer learning, but practice is not challenged.
Students form their own
community of students in clinical practice.
Story telling in clinical practice takes place after the work is done and away from the ward.
Shared practice enhances peer learning through story telling.
Peer learning helps students to learn about the emotions of nursing.
Need for friendships in clinical practice should not be viewed as a marker of lack of maturity - but as an essential element of peer
New Fore Understandings: Seniority challenged: context specific. Peers pass on survival skills: context specific.
Peers act as role models. Students use 3rd years to prepare themselves for that time. Ideas not challenged in practice or classroom. Lecturers can enhance peer learning: questioning & finding Friendships and peer learning. Story telling in practice & class
Peer learning in the academic setting. Peer learning in practice. Professional Socialisation & peers.
Peers as role models.
Fitting in & finding the nursing role.
Survival skills. Seniority contextual
Mutual practical help. Learning clinical skills.
‘Ask anything’ Student pairs. Formal & informal knowledge. Maturity.
Friendship & community
Learning about the emotions of nursing.
Learning through and from each other’s
Four main themes emerged from the data: Friendships and peer learning, the importance of story telling and peer learning, the processes of peer learning in clinical practice and the role of peer in professional socialization. In addition, there was a further emerging area of findings form which tentative conclusions can be drawn: the process of peer learning in the academic setting. Together the themes demonstrate the experience of peer learning for the students under study. Each theme is presented as a Chapter in its own right together with sub themes discerned from the data with appropriate discussion.
Before proceeding with the findings and discussion of the research it is perhaps pertinent to reiterate the stance with which this work is approached. The findings presented here are pertaining to the students I have studied. This might seem a somewhat obvious thing to say, but I am keen to point out that I am not suggesting that peer learning for all student nurses will appear in a similar fashion. The findings here merely seek to unearth peer learning as it was for the students in the study and shed some insight into their world. However, I should also point out that the students are representative of students across the cohort as a whole in terms of age, gender, previous experience and qualifications and social background. Indeed this group is also representative of other cohorts within the School of Nursing and possibly beyond.