BMC NursingPerceptions of Nurse Educators and Nursing Students on the Model for Facilitating ‘Presence’ in Large Class Settings Through Reflective Practices: A Contextual Inquiry

Nursing education has its foundations in the classroom, and the relationship between the nurse educator and the nursing student is a cornerstone of this educational process. At the heart of this relationship is ‘presence’, a practice where the caregiver gives full, attentive care to the patient, understanding their needs, desires, and fears. This ‘presence’ is key to the nursing profession and must be woven into teaching and learning.

Reflective practices provide a strategy for nurse educators to instill ‘presence’ in nursing students, even in large class settings. These practices present various challenges such as unfamiliarity with alternative teaching methods, time constraints, and discomfort with new teaching approaches. To overcome these, a model has been developed, relying on proven theory development steps, such as concept analysis, model development, description, and evaluation. The model’s evaluation has been performed by an expert panel and nursing participants.

Using an explorative and qualitative design, the model went through a two-step evaluation and refinement process. The expert panel used critical reflection to refine the model initially. Subsequently, participants evaluated the model empirically using participatory evaluation. The data was collected through online focus group interviews with nurse educators and virtual sessions with nursing students. Open coding was employed for content analysis.

This evaluation process led to five key themes: understanding of the model, benefits of the model, limitations of the model, conditions needed for the model’s successful implementation, and recommendations for further development of the model.

The final results have culminated in a refined model, primed for implementation into nursing education curriculums at all levels. This progressive model not only contributes to the nursing knowledge base but also elevates nurses’ awareness of ‘presence’, transforming the way they feel, think, care, and act in practice. The resulting personal and professional development will invariably impact the nursing profession as a whole.