Beyond simulation – extracurricular volunteering in nursing education: Afocus group

Abstract Background A reduction in clinical placement hours has seen alternative teaching methods being explored in nursing education in Australia. The use of simulated patients in academic laboratories is highly utilised, however, may still be limiting learning opportunities. Objective The objective of this research was to describe the learning experiences of nursing students who participated in supervised extracurricular, volunteering opportunities during their nursing studies. Design A descriptive qualitative design was used to discover and understand learning experiences of a volunteering encounter, described from the nursing student perspective. Setting The Pit Stop men’s health check program is a collaboration of local health organisations, volunteering their time to provide free health checks at a farming Field Day event in regional Victoria, Australia. Participants Twelve second year undergraduate nursing students volunteered at the 2019 Pit Stop event, over a four day period and outside their normal study requirements. Seven volunteers then participated in post event research, sharing experiences and providing feedback. Methods One semi-structured focus group interview was conducted at University campus, using reflective and open ended questioning. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis identified common themes. Results Students unanimously recommended the real life learning experiences and reported an increased confidence and competence in basic communication and clinical skills, not always provided in the simulated environment of the academic laboratory. Their motivation to attend was driven by wanting more real life contact with patients, having time to practice skills and experience diversity within their practice. Students also recommended future volunteering ideas that would potentially provide additional learning opportunities. Conclusions Experiential learning such as simulation is highly valued in current nursing education, however, students still crave the real life learning experiences from working with human patients. With limited clinical exposure currently offered to students within nursing education programs, additional opportunities such as supervised volunteering may be worth considering when preparing confident and competent nurse graduates.