Integrated collegiate and professional nursing education in Nigeria universities: Self, task and impact concerns of lecturers

Abstract

The study investigated what lecturers involved in the integrated collegiate and professional nursing education in Nigeria universities characterise as concern for self, task and impact. Cross-sectional explorative design was used. Sample was 237 professional nurses on permanent employment as lecturers in any Departments of nursing of the twenty nine universities in Nigeria offering nursing programme. Data were collected using 46-items self-revealing validated Nurse-lecturer Concerns Questionnaire. The highest concern of the lecturers were related to their task (Mean + SD = 3.50 ± 1.27), followed closely by ‘concern for self’ (Mean + SD = 3.49 ± 1.38). Lecturers’ major ‘concerns for task’ were frequent semester and professional examinations and working with too many students each day. Major ‘concerns for self’ were being unable to balance professional and personal life, having to publish several research studies to progress in their career, and inefficient use of digital technologies. There was significant difference in male and female lecturers’ ‘concerns for self’ p < .019; and task p < .000, but not for impact. The male lecturers had lower mean scores for ‘concern for self’ and ‘concern for task’ than the females, The higher the years on the job, with teacher preparation training, the lower the lecturers’ ‘concern for self’. Integrated university nursing education increases lecturers’ job-related concerns, especially the less skilled ones. Consolidated examination system that awards both degree and professional certificates should replace the bipartite examination system to reduce lecturers’ workload. Teacher training and competence in use of digital technologies should be pre-requisite for employment of lecturers. More males should be enrolled into nursing education. Keywords: Concern for impact, Concern for self, Concern for task, Nigeria, Lecturer, Nursing education