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Students’ learning as the focus for shared involvement between universities and clinical practice: a didactic model for postgraduate degree projects

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Abstract

In an academic programme, completion of a postgraduate degree project could be a significant means of promoting student learning in evidence- and experience-based practice. In specialist nursing education, which through the European Bologna process would be raised to the master’s level, there is no tradition of including a postgraduate degree project. The aim was to develop a didactic model for specialist nursing students’ postgraduate degree projects within the second cycle of higher education (master’s level) and with a specific focus on nurturing shared involvement between universities and healthcare settings. This study embodies a participatory action research and theory-generating design founded on empirically practical try-outs. The 3-year project included five Swedish universities and related healthcare settings. A series of activities was performed and a number of data sources secured. Constant comparative analysis was applied. A didactic model is proposed for postgraduate degree projects in specialist nursing education aimed at nurturing shared involvement between universities and healthcare settings. The focus of the model is student learning in order to prepare the students for participation as specialist nurses in clinical knowledge development. The model is developed for the specialist nursing education, but it is general and could be applicable to various education programmes.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by a major grant from the Swedish Agency for Networks and Cooperation in Higher Education. In addition, we gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Swedish Society of Nursing, Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, Karlstad University, University of Borås and Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. Our special thanks to all the participating students, clinicians and faculty members.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 457, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden

    J. Öhlén, L. Berg, M. Lepp, E. Lidén, I. Lindström & H. Wijk

  2. School of Health Sciences, University of Borås, Borås, Sweden

    E. Björk Brämberg & I. Höglund

  3. Division of Nursing, Department of Health Science, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    Å. Engström & S. Söderberg

  4. Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Department of Nursing, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden

    L. German Millberg & K. Petzäll

  5. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    C. Jacobsson

  6. Department of Nursing, Gjøvik University College, Gjøvik, Norway

    K. Petzäll

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  1. J. Öhlén
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  2. L. Berg
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  3. E. Björk Brämberg
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  4. Å. Engström
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  5. L. German Millberg
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  6. I. Höglund
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  7. C. Jacobsson
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  8. M. Lepp
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  9. E. Lidén
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  10. I. Lindström
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  11. K. Petzäll
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  12. S. Söderberg
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  13. H. Wijk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Öhlén.

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Öhlén, J., Berg, L., Björk Brämberg, E. et al. Students’ learning as the focus for shared involvement between universities and clinical practice: a didactic model for postgraduate degree projects. Adv in Health Sci Educ 17, 471–487 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-011-9323-2

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