Assessing the educational environment of baccalaureate nursing program as perceived by nursing students

Abstract

This study aims at assessing the Educational Environment (EE) of the baccalaureate nursing programs as perceived by nursing students in public and private Iraqi Universities. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the level of nursing students' perception of EE in baccalaureate program. The findings show that the general perception for nursing programs was more positive than negative with a total score of (135.42/200), while students’ perception of learning and teaching was very high with a mean score of (M=37+ 6.39); secondly, students’ perception of teachers moving in the right direction showed a mean score (M=28+5.3). The third domain was students’ academic self-perception, wherein students felt more on the positive side with a mean score of (M=20.4+4.52). The fourth domain was students’ perception of the atmosphere, where the students felt that there had a more positive atmosphere, with a mean score of (M=30.8+7.25). The fifth domain was students’ social self-perception, where also students had not too bad scores. The quality of an EE is considered an indicator of the effectiveness of an educational program on students’ learning. A positive perception of nursing students about the educational environment was concluded. This study will develop practical aspects in the nursing work environment and help nurses to be able to challenge work difficulties and refine their psychology.