ABSTRACT
Background: This study focuses on the presentation of a didactical suggestion regarding nurse education. It presents an experiential learning intervention in ‘Bioethics’, with the participation of 41 undergraduate nurse students.
Objectives: The learning objectives were the students’ development on personal, social abilities and skills, problem solving and decision making, and the development of their self-esteem.
Design: A multidimensional educational context that emphasized on (a) students’ active participation, (b) lesson’s flexibility to changes according to team’s needs and (c) support of the team has been of major importance.The followed pedagogical methodology was based on the principles of interdisciplinarity, critical thinking and creating opportunities for the development of learning activities in the classroom for ‘Bioethics”, while the learning process was based on the principles of team work and team dynamics, active and experiential learning methods through the use of the students’ personal experiences.
Methods: At the end of the semester 41 students where asked to fill a “text of free writing”, where they wrote about their experience, their thoughts and their emotions during lessons. These texts were put in context analysis.
Results: After the texts’ analysis, seven categories were developed and classified. Consequently, the six categories were represented with 51 analysis units for “Cognitive skills development”, 51 for “Social skills development”, 34 for “Emotions-experience”, 10 for “Profession development”, 39 for “Assessment on the teaching methodology” and 19 for “Holistic development” experienced during and through lessons.
Conclusion: Concisely, it was observed that motivation (emotional preparation, interest), argumentation, (when presenting and analyzing different issues), and speculation, (while strengthening different issues during lessons) were developed through this didactical – experiential approach.
Key words: Bioethics, Experiential learning, Didactical approach, Active learning, Team dynamics, Nurse students
