Addressing obstacles to success: What science do midwives and nurses really need?

Abstract or Summary

"Addressing Obstacles to Success" is a TLRI funded project that seeks to address science achievement rates in applied health undergraduate degree programmes at Waikato Institute of Technology , with particular attention to Maori. The project builds on previous Wintec research that highlighted science components of the course as a potential barrier to students’ overall success. They reported experiencing science as difficult and time-consuming, and achievement results reflected this. Accordingly, the current project aims to find ways to include the necessary science without making this an obstacle to overall course success. Phase one of the research (2006) aims to determine the most directly relevant science content for undergraduate programmes. Data has been gathered via a literature review, and by soliciting perceived science/practice links in the work of nurses/midwives who are either newly graduated/registered or who are clinical educators/supervisors of students participating in regionally based focus groups. This paper will describe the patterns we have found. These will subsequently be used to assist selection of prioritised content, and to enhance to contextualisation of science courses, with the aim of avoiding content overload and helping students make more meaningful theory/practice links. The revised curriculum will be piloted and evaluated at Wintec in 2007 in Phase 2 of the project.