Revision of the Apprenticeship and Internship Logbooks of Community Health Nursing

Background & Objective: Logbooks are important tools in the training and evaluation of students. Using logbooks bridges the gap between theory and practice. The present study aimed to revise the apprenticeship and internship logbooks of community health nursing. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative study in the paradigm of educational management, aiming to revise the apprenticeship and internship logbooks of community health nursing at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2015. In addition to the library research method, various data collection techniques were employed. The items of the mentioned logbooks were scored based on a five-point Likert scale (absolutely essential, essential, relatively essential, slightly essential, and non-essential). Face and content validity of the former logbooks were assessed, and the research team evaluated the curriculum of community health nursing in order to modify the items and create the final logbooks. After making the necessary changes, the logbooks were provided for the faculty members, and the face and content validity was also confirmed. Results: After evaluating the new course outlines of the affiliated ministry and taking a poll from the faculty member elites, a set of 77 new items were obtained. Among the 10 final logbooks, the three sections of ‘health education’, ‘home care’, and ‘communications’ were not found in the initial logbook. The final logbook was provided with 10 sections and 142 components. Conclusion: The items regarding health education and communications are further emphasized in the current logbook, while these items were lacking in the former ones. Improvement of these skills could remarkably promote holistic nursing. D ow nl oa de d fr om z um s. ac .ir a t 3 :3 8 IR S T o n S at ur da y O ct ob er 1 9t h 20 19 [ D O I: 10 .2 92 52 /e dc j.1 0. 28 .7 8 ] portfolio and internship 78 Journal of Medical Education Development ,Vol 10, No 28 Winter, 2017 Introduction Logbook is an important tool in the training and evaluation of students (1). In fact, a logbook is the file used to keep documents and work samples (2). In terms of the application in skills training, a logbook is a designed, purposeful set of documents, evidence, and records of the scientific and educational activities of students, which demonstrates their efforts, progress, and academic status in their theoretical or clinical education. Furthermore, logbooks are used as a method of performance evaluation, which help professors to objectively assess the progress of students in achieving educational goals (3). The views of education experts and findings of field research have confirmed the numerous multifaceted advantages of logbooks. One of the main concerns in most educational systems is the gap between theory and practice in medical fields, including nursing. Despite completing several theoretical courses, students are rarely able to apply their knowledge in clinical settings (4). Using logbooks could remarkably promote general skills (e.g., critical thinking), thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice and maintaining students in the process of constant learning (2). The findings of Hoveizian et al. show that compared to conventional approaches, logbooks are more effective in increasing the interest and motivation of students to participate in learning and discovering the limitations and their improvement during internship. Moreover, owing to the concordance of the subjects in logbooks with evaluation goals, the satisfaction rate of students has been reported to be high with this method (1). In another study, Bahreini has emphasized on the positive effect of using logbooks on the improvement of rethinking skills in nurses. Accordingly, rethinking through thought stimulation about the clinical performance and studying the associated theoretical knowledge result in the reduced gap between theory and practice, keeping students in the process of constant learning (2). Another major advantage of logbooks mentioned in the findings of Latifi et al. is that it causes students to learn self-assessment through contemplating their work samples. Some of the other strengths of logbooks are connecting theory and practice, raising the awareness of students regarding their strengths and weaknesses, active participation of the instructor in providing feedback, enhancing the self-confidence of students, and D ow nl oa de d fr om z um s. ac .ir a t 3 :3 8 IR S T o n S at ur da y O ct ob er 1 9t h 20 19 [ D O I: 10 .2 92 52 /e dc j.1 0. 28 .7 8 ]