Clinical course: a concept analysis: research

Abstract

Concepts are the most basic linguistic constructs with which individuals can get a grasp on their reality. Concepts assist persons to organise their experiences. Furthermore, concepts facilitate communication and enable the cognitive recall of phenomena that may not immediately be present (Rodgers, 1989:330). However, if the meaning of a concept is vague and ambiguous, communication can be impaired. The concept ์clinical course๎ is frequently referred to within nursing education discourse. It appears from the observation of nurse educators that there is much uncertainty about the meaning of this concept. The uncertainty is about which courses can be regarded as clinical courses. The purpose of this article is to describe the meaning of the concept clinical course. A philosophical analytical research design (Burns & Grove, 1993:592) was followed in order to reach this purpose. The analysis of the concept ์clinical course๎ was based on Rodgersํ (1989) method of concept analysis. The aim of concept analysis was twofold - on the one hand it was done to clarify the meaning of the concept ์clinical course๎ and on the other to formulate a definition of this concept. Based on the concept analysis, the following definition of the concept ์clinical course๎ in nursing was formulated: A clinical course in nursing refers to a planned, contextual, needs-driven, interactive education and training programme, under the supervision of a clinical educator/facilitator, that leads to a clinical nursing qualification. The aim of a clinical course is to develop clinical competencies and to achieve set clinical outcomes by means of experiential learning. This confers on the holder of such clinical qualification the right to register such qualification as an additional qualification in terms of section 22 of the Nursing Act.


Konsepte is die mees basiese linguistiese konstrukte waarmee individue ๋n greep op hulle werklikheid bekom. Konsepte help persone om hulle ervarings te organiseer. Verder fasiliteer dit kommunikasie en stel dit persone in staat om bepaalde verskynsels wat nie onmiddelik teenwoordig is nie, op ๋n kognitiewe wyse te herroep (Rodgers, 1989:330). Indien die betekenis van ๋n konsep egter vaag en dubbelsinnig is, kan kommunikasie belemmer word. Die konsep ์kliniese kursus๎ is ๋n konsep waarna daar gereeld binne die diskoers oor verpleegopvoeding verwys word. Dit blyk egter vanuit die waarneming van verpleegopvoeders dat daar onsekerheid bestaan rondom die betekenis van die konsep, spesifiek oor watter kursusse in verpleegkunde as kliniese kursusse beskou kan word. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die betekenis van die konsep ์kliniese kursus๎ te beskryf. ๋n Filosofies-analitiese navorsingsontwerp (Burns & Grove, 1993:592) is gevolg ten einde hierdie doelwit te bereik. Die konsep ์kliniese kursus๎ is aan die hand van Rodgers (1989) se metode van konsepanalise ontleed. Die doelwit van die konsepanalise was tweeledig van aard - enersyds om die betekenis van konsep kliniese kursus te verduidelik en andersyds om ๋n definisie daarvan te formuleer. Vanuit die konsepanalise is die volgende definisie van die konsep ์kliniese kursus๎ geformuleer: ๋n Kliniese kursus in verpleegkunde dui op ๋n beplande, kontekstuele, behoefte-gedrewe interaktiewe onderrig- en opleidingsprogram onder die toesig van ๋n kliniese opvoeder/fasiliteerder wat tot ๋n kliniese verpleegkwalifikasie lei. Die doelwit van ๋n kliniese kursus is om kliniese bevoegdhede te ontwikkel en om gestelde uitkomstes deur middel van ervaringsleer te bereik wat aan ๋n persoon die reg gee om sodanige kliniese kursus as ๋n addisionele kwalifikasie ingevolge artikel 22 van die Wet op Verpleging te registreer.


Key Words: Clinical, Clinical supervision, Course, Curriculum, Education, Concept analysis


Health SA Gesondheid Vol.9(1) 2004: 10-26