Creating undergraduate projects by involving student nurses in research and development projects - A SUPERVISOR PERSPECTIVE

There is an increasing demand on universities and university colleges to involve student nurses in research and development projects. The aim of this study was to describe different ways of involving students in research and development projects in order to gain empirical material for their own undergraduate projects and to discuss the challenges in involving students in those projects. The study is a retrospective, single case study based on empirical material consisting of documents written by staff and students at a university college in Denmark and reflections written on the collaboration by the supervisors. Five different ways in which student nurses were involved in research are identified. These kinds of involvements seem fruitful and educational both for the research projects themselves, and for the students and the supervisors. The students contributed with useful knowledge and new perspectives on the research projects on which they worked. But there were also challenges; for the most part due to the fact that the Nursing Programme does not provide the students with the required skills in research methodology. Therefore the students need support and close supervision when they participate in research and development projects. This indicates a need to upgrade education in methodology in bachelor degree programmes