Table 4 Students’ satisfaction with the task proposed. In-depth interviews (n = 7). Category emerged from the data analysis with quotations and related codes
Category | Code | Quotation |
|---|---|---|
The added value | The assignment makes them aware of their knowledge | ‘I appreciate you had this initiative to do this type of assignment because I feel I have really learnt, that I have seriously addressed doubts I had or things I was not so sure about.’ Student 3 ‘I thought I had super clear the answer and then when I saw the feedback I though “No way! I was wrong!” So yes, in that sense, I think you created the emotion, well, I don’t know how to call it, motivation.’ Student 2 |
Assignment and spirit of inquiry | ‘Your task was really useful for me, there were some questions that really got me hooked so I read everything because I thought “How is it possible for me to not know this?” [laughs] so I started reading and yes, in my opinion, the questions you asked were very specific and they are dilemmas you can find in your nursing practice… and thanks to the Practicum I now know that.’ Student 2 ‘…and I remembered the task. Seeking for answers, inquiring, making us think… in the end it gives you knowledge, knowledge that you can apply to your experience, and yesterday for example [at the hospital] I recalled this task from the Practicum.’ Student 1 | |
Positively assess feedback | ‘To be honest I was positively surprised with the feedback because I thought it was going to be just “wrong, wrong, right” and the truth is you worked hard to specify “this is wrong, look here, read this” so I think the feedback was great, I mean., I was really surprised. When things are correctly done, they are correctly done, and I think this was. I loved the idea that you had and I believe it’s been very useful.’ Student 3 | |
Encourage to seek information | ‘The assignment is just perfect but maybe it would be good that, besides having the access to the documentation, the student was encouraged to seek for the information, to learn how to look for that documentation.’ Student 5 | |
Positive that it is based on a clinical case | ‘Yeah, I think case studies “on the paper” are quite good especially before you face real clinical cases, at the end, you get a bit of an idea, it makes you think.’ Student 5 ‘Yes, the truth is these questions focused on clinical cases are very interesting to reinforce clinical practice because they are situations that you really face in your nursing practice, well, of course, we don’t have placements in all the different units. For example, I haven´t been in an ICU and your case was based on an ICU patient, so it’s been useful to reinforce clinical practice and learn about services where we don´t all have the chance to stay.’ Student 6 | |
Worthwhile workload | ‘The workload was reasonable. I mean, nobody likes doing assignments, obviously, because when you get home from clinical practice you’re tired, you have other things to do also. But in relation with usefulness, taking into account usefulness by time spent … this practical case is more useful than other assignments’ Student 4 | |
Scale-up | ‘I think the task of the ICU is a good idea, but it also seems like a good idea to contextualize it to the different subjects, for example, in a cancer patient or a hip fracture because in the end that is what we are going to see. So it is important and I find it very interesting to learn for real work.’ Student 6 |