TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring nursing students' experiences of a drop-in support-centre : a mixed-methods study
AU - Martin, Marian
AU - Ramjan, Lucie M.
AU - Everett, Bronwyn
AU - Glew, Paul
AU - Lynch, Joan
AU - Salamonson, Yenna
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - Background: The increased use of blended learning approaches in undergraduate nursing programs has resulted in reduced on-campus contact with academic staff and other students. Objectives: To explore student's experiences of a Drop-In-Support-Centre and assess the impact of attendance on academic performance. Design: Concurrent mixed-methods. Setting: A large metropolitan, multi-campus university in Sydney, Australia. Participants: Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing program. Methods: In March 2016, to support students' learning, a weekly Drop-In-Support-Centre (DISC) initiative was piloted. The DISC provided an informal, learning space one day a week for students to access academic support. Baseline quantitative data was extracted from the University administrative dataset with a 12-month follow-up Grade Point Average (GPA) in January 2017. Attendance at the DISC was collected progressively throughout 2016. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results: Of 1016 undergraduate nursing students enrolled on the campus, 163 (16%) attended DISC at least once. Attendees were older, more likely to be Overseas-born (74% versus 45% native-born, p < 0.001). Sub-group analysis of first year students revealed attendees had a higher grade point average than non-attendees (4.20 versus 3.85, p = 0.005). Controlling for demographic factors, they were over three times more likely (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 3.75, 95% CI: 1.44–9.78) to achieve a higher GPA (>4.0) compared to non-attendees. Thirteen students were interviewed. Two main themes emerged; 1) ‘Home away from home’ and 2) ‘A sense of community: Everyone supports each other’ with three accompanying sub-themes. Conclusions: This study supports the usefulness of a Drop-In-Support-Centre in enhancing students' learning experiences and outcomes. The success of the program is highlighted by an improvement in academic performance of students who attended the DISC.
AB - Background: The increased use of blended learning approaches in undergraduate nursing programs has resulted in reduced on-campus contact with academic staff and other students. Objectives: To explore student's experiences of a Drop-In-Support-Centre and assess the impact of attendance on academic performance. Design: Concurrent mixed-methods. Setting: A large metropolitan, multi-campus university in Sydney, Australia. Participants: Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing program. Methods: In March 2016, to support students' learning, a weekly Drop-In-Support-Centre (DISC) initiative was piloted. The DISC provided an informal, learning space one day a week for students to access academic support. Baseline quantitative data was extracted from the University administrative dataset with a 12-month follow-up Grade Point Average (GPA) in January 2017. Attendance at the DISC was collected progressively throughout 2016. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results: Of 1016 undergraduate nursing students enrolled on the campus, 163 (16%) attended DISC at least once. Attendees were older, more likely to be Overseas-born (74% versus 45% native-born, p < 0.001). Sub-group analysis of first year students revealed attendees had a higher grade point average than non-attendees (4.20 versus 3.85, p = 0.005). Controlling for demographic factors, they were over three times more likely (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 3.75, 95% CI: 1.44–9.78) to achieve a higher GPA (>4.0) compared to non-attendees. Thirteen students were interviewed. Two main themes emerged; 1) ‘Home away from home’ and 2) ‘A sense of community: Everyone supports each other’ with three accompanying sub-themes. Conclusions: This study supports the usefulness of a Drop-In-Support-Centre in enhancing students' learning experiences and outcomes. The success of the program is highlighted by an improvement in academic performance of students who attended the DISC.
KW - college freshmen
KW - nursing
KW - social integration
KW - study and teaching
UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:47910
U2 - 10.1016/j.nedt.2018.06.026
DO - 10.1016/j.nedt.2018.06.026
M3 - Article
VL - 69
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Nurse Education Today
JF - Nurse Education Today
ER -
