Employer perceptions of knowledge, competency and professionalism of baccalaureate nursing graduates from a problem-based program

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Day, R.A.
  • Williams, B.

• Employer evaluation of graduates is a critical component of professional program evaluation and contributes a viewpoint rarely reported in the literature. It has been proposed that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) enhances knowledge acquisition, clinical competency and professional behavior. Students assume the role of a registered nurse as they work through real practice scenarios on a daily basis in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore employer perceptions of graduates’ knowledge, competency and professionalism, following completion of a PBL program. Nurse employers (N=53) participated in 10 focus group discussions. Four main themes were derived from employer descriptions of their experience with PBL graduates: still rough around the edges, we want them to succeed, a new generation of practitioner, and potential to lead the profession into the future. Please add what the implications of these findings are to nursing education.

• Date created

  2009

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Employer perceptions
  • Problem based learning

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3F76693J

• License

  © 2009 Walter de Gruyter. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited. The final publication is available at www.degruyter.com.