Model for the education of neonatal nurses as reflective practitioners

Abstract

A model is developed for the education of neonatal nurses as reflective practitioners in a South African context to prepare them for their demanding role in neonatal nursing practice. An exploratory and descriptive design was used, which was in essence qualitative and contextual in nature. Neonatal nursing practice related to education of reflective neonatal nurses was explored and verified to synthesise competences and professional characteristics expected of reflective neonatal nurses and to deduce the content outline of an educational programme. The model was constructed, described and evaluated by experts in model development, higher education, nursing education and/or neonatal nursing practice. ’n Model is ontwikkel vir onderrig van neonatale verpleegkundiges as reflektiewe praktisyns in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. ’n Ondersoekende en beskrywende ontwerp is gebruik wat in wese ’n kwalitatiewe en kontekstuele aard het. Neonatale verpleegpraktyk rakende onderrig van reflektiewe neonatale verpleegkundiges is ondersoek en gevalideer om die verwagte bevoegdhede en professionele eienskappe van reflektiewe neonatale verpleegkundiges te sintetiseer, en ’n oorsig van die inhoud van so ’n program af te lei. Eksperts in modelontwikkeling, oëronderwys, verpleegonderwys en/of neonatale verpleegpraktyk het die model gevalideer.