Evaluation of Professional Attitudes and Competence of Nursing Students During the Period of Distance Education

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the professional attitudes and competence of nursing students during the period of distance education. Method: This is a cross-sectional analytic study. The study sample consisted of 233 students studying in the 3rd and 4th years of a Nursing Faculty in western Turkey. Data were collected with the Information Form, the Professional Attitudes Scale towards Student Nurses, and the Nursing Students Competence Scale. Results: It was computed that the students' Nursing Students Competence Scale total score was at 272.60+-31.32, and the Professional Attitudes Scale total score was at 52.67+-16.54. There was no correlation between the autonomy factor of the Professional Attitudes Scale and the Critical Thinking and Reasoning subfactors of the Student Nurse Competence Scale (p>.05), nor was there a correlation between the autonomy factor of the Professional Attitudes Scale and the cooperation factor of the Student Nurse Competence Scale and the Clinical Biomedicine subfactor. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between the mean scores of the Professional Attitudes Scale and the Student Nurse Competence Scale and their other subfactors (p<.001). Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was determined that while the distance education process did not affect the students' professional competence, it negatively affected the development of their professional attitudes. In line with the results, it can be suggested that nursing education should not be carried out entirely with distance education for the purpose of developing the professional attitudes of the students. It can also be suggested that the effects of other education methods (hybrid, etc.) on the professional competence and attitudes of the students should be evaluated.

Keywords

• distance education
• nursing education
• professional competence
• professional attitudes