Perceptions of second year nursing students on the relevance of science in nursing

Prompted by the observations made while teaching bioscience to nursing students, the researcher undertook a survey to identify the perceptions of second year nursing students on the relevance of science in nursing. The three part questionnaire developed by the researcher addressed the general characteristics of the respondents and their responses to a series of science-related statements. Personal comments relating to the topic could be made if desired. The questionnaire was refined by cross-checking with existing tools and consulting with experts in nursing, science and teaching. A pilot study established face and construct validity and identified necessary modifications. The main study was administered to 182 second year nursing students with a response rate of 60% (n=109). An SPSS database and analysis of emergent themes were utilised to analyse the data. Data analysis revealed that although respondents believe science to be inherently valuable and relevant to nursing, the subject was not necessarily being taught in a way that enabled students to grasp the relevance of scientific concepts to clinical practice.