Improvement work as a coursework requirement in nursing training can improve nursing competence

Abstract

Objective: Nursing students must acquire the competence to work as nurses in a health service that is complex and where improvements can prove demanding. The purpose of the study is to examine how students’ coursework requirement in improvement work is performed in practice and whether it improves nursing competence.

Methods: This is a single case study based on an interview with one student.

Results and conclusions: During the study it emerged that students' improvement work in nursing practice is an instructive and interesting process and that as such will contribute to providing patients with better nursing care. It also emerged that a student can find it difficult to raise an issue that ought to be improved in practice. The informant emphasized that it was important to be taken seriously when one suggested new measures for improvement. Having sufficient time to complete the improvement process would improve overall competence.