About the project
RiNS is a Norwegian-Danish research network established in 2006. Our main areas of research and development are:
- Comparative action research on practical skills learning/simulation in skill centres
- Transfer of practical skills learning from skill centres to clinical practice
- Enhancing practical skills learning in clinical settings
- Development of theoretically and empirically founded tools in practical skills learning.
Objectives
The aim of RiNS is to develop a comprehensive understanding of practical skills in nursing and how these skills are learned. By means of systematic research and developmental projects we propose to gain insight and develop knowledge that can play a role in strengthening the performance of practical skills in nursing. This will contribute to the delivery of hands-on nursing at a high professional level to patients and clients.
Outcomes
The research group has developed an instrumental version of The Model of Practical Skill Performance that can be used in teaching, supervision, reflection and formative assessment. Pedagogical tools for teaching and supervision are developed and published on the homepage in Norwegian, Danish and English. Several reports and articles have been published and two articles on knowledge translation and instrument validation are in process
Background
Practical skills in nursing are understood as complex actions involving movement abilities, caring intentions, theoretical and practical knowledge, and ethical and moral deliberation. This view is in opposition to the traditionally narrow understanding of practical skills as uncomplicated manual/technical movements easily learned in school and transformed into adequate performance in the clinical setting. This simplistic understanding may be sufficient with regard to technical/practical skills without patient contact, but does not suffice when patients and clients are involved as recipients of or collaborators in the practical skill. Although the practical aspects of nursing originally were viewed as the art of nursing and skill in the practical aspects of nursing was deemed the main criterion of good nursing, relatively little research effort has been directed towards illuminating issues relevant to learning, transfer, and performance of practical skills.
Sub-projects
Several projects have been developed with different principal investigators within the group. Projects where Ida Torunn Bjørk, University of Oslo, is a participant will be listed in the following. Other ongoing projects can be found on the homepage of RiNS.
- Implementing a new pedagogy in the skills centre: an action research project. This project has two branches; one at Telemark University College and the other at VIA University College in Århus. Methods: Video-observation and focus group interviews. Start 2009.
- Implementing The Model of Practical Skill Performance in the clinical setting. This project has two branches; one at Lovisenberg Diaconal College in Oslo and the other at Århus University Hospital/VIA University College Århus. Methods: Survey, logs, focus group interviews. Start 2008 and 2009.
- Transfer of practical skills from skill centre to the clinical setting. Method: Field study. This is a doctoral study with doctoral student Monika Ravik. Start 2011.
Cooperation
Participants in the research group are located at The University of Oslo, Århus University, VIA University College at Silkeborg and Århus, Telemark University College and Lovisenberg Diaconal College in Oslo.
Start - finish
Start 2006, continual on-going research collaboration.