Readying nursing students for culturally grounded practice that supports a new vision for older persons’ healthcare environments
Status
Key Research Question
What practices are most effective in delivering educational experiences which prepare student nurses for culturally-centred work in older persons' healthcare?
The research team will undertake an iterative literature review and combine that knowledge with interviews of teachers, students, managers of aged care services, and the older people using those services, to feed directly into the new unified Bachelor of Nursing teaching delivery.
This project is scheduled to be completed February 2025.
Sub questions:
- What is current thinking, in New Zealand and overseas, about how best older persons’ healthcare environments can be re-envisaged to support cultural identity and promote a sense of home?
- How are cultural identity, ōritetanga (equity), and Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based guidance for practice embedded and disseminated in the new unified Bachelor of Nursing curricula (including Bachelor of Nursing Māori and Bachelor of Nursing Pacific) that relates to older persons’ health and wellbeing?
- Are there gaps and opportunities related to how older persons’ healthcare is presented to nursing students that impacts their career choices?
- What do students think about the way they are taught about optimal cultural and environmental factors that promote a sense of positive wellbeing for older people? Were these factors evident during their practicum placements in aged care environments?
- What narratives do students and aged-care residents have about specific interventions and initiatives that have had positive health and wellbeing outcomes? What are possible student engagement opportunities, related to culture and a sense of home?
- How well-served are Māori and Chinese older people by the way nursing students are being prepared as work ready in the healthcare sector?
- How effective is this learning in preparing students to seek a career in older persons’ healthcare, and to and encouraging them to see themselves as leaders and in this sector?
Team
Dr Judith Honeyfield
Project leader
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Cath Fraser
Toi Ohomai Institute of TechnologyStatus
Funding
$100,000.00 (excl GST)
How will answering these questions help?
It is recognised that there is an ageing population worldwide, and growing literature attests to the importance of culture and community in positive ageing – which is not always well met in aged residential care facilities. Yet there is a persistent disinclination by nursing students to choose aged healthcare as a career preference which points to a projected shortfall in specialist aged healthcare professionals.
Expected outcomes
- Feedback and recommendations for the Te Pūkenga unified Bachelor of Nursing degrees to enhance delivery
- Students reporting an increased understanding of culturally-grounded approaches to older persons' healthcare provision and wellbeing
- Strengthened networks with non-traditional and new older persons' healthcare providers, resulting in greater choice for clinical learning and placement experiences