Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Nursing education is driven by two components, namely; the theoretical aspect, which is the
knowledge that informs classroom instruction ,and the clinical situations where they apply theory to
practice and are given a platform to demonstrate the values and skills of the nursing profession The
theoretical aspect provides an understanding of the following : nursing history , professional
ethics ,values , different divisions of the human body and psyche ,as well as the processes of disease
and illness (saifan,safieh,milbes and shibly ,2015).The theoretical component draws attention to how
patients receive their diagnosis ,what symptoms to assess ,and the comprehensive nursing care that is
associated with each identified diagnosis.
On the other hand, the clinical component entails situations where nursing students apply theory to
practice and are given a platform to demonstrate the values and skills of the nursing profession. The
requirements above are mandatory for a successful nursing career. Therefore, nursing students, at the
end of their training, should become independent critical thinkers who are not only efficient but also
useful in making sound clinical decisions and portraying safe clinical practice (Landers, 2010).The
acquired skills have to be adequate to influence the quality of lives of their patients positively.
Bungoma Kenya Medical Training College, trains diploma nursing students to be competent nurses
during their practice as nursing professionals. The school aims to prepare these learners to be able to
provide care to patients from different backgrounds. The significant competencies include
communication, assessment, patient care and leadership. It involves the ability to communicate
effectively with the multidisciplinary team concerning any changes identified during the care and
treatment of a patient. Assessment include the opacity to perform a continuous, comprehensive
patient assessment from admission to rehabilitation. Its implementation ensures the patients' needs
become common knowledge and that they receive appropriate therapy. While on training the nursing
students learn about leadership and management and are given tasks in the hospital and within the
community (Abubu &jeggels,2010). The nursing students are allowed to develop these competencies
in a hospital based practice as well as in various clinical settings within Bungoma County Referral
Hospital. Both first year, sophomore and third year nursing students' clinical placements are
fundamental to their professional development prospects. It is during these years that nursing
students are exposed to immense learning experiences and opportunities. Their clinical skills
develop further, and a leadership mindset is expected to be embodied during thie tenure. Perli and
Brugnolli (2010), and Abubu and jeggels (2010) stated that many nursing students leave during the
second and third year of study, due to events occuring in clinical settings. Learners experience a
variety of challenges in these contexts, from the attitudes of nursing staff to inadequate clinical
supervision.