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The Effect of Different Education Models on Transactional Distance and Nursing Practice Readiness
Ryan, Teale W.
Ryan, Teale W.
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Abstract
Background: Between 2011 and 2015, only 23% of new graduate nurses demonstrated readiness for professional nursing practice, most recently declining to 9% by 2021. In 2023, the NCLEX-RN pass rates for baccalaureate degree nurses averaged 90.17%. This stark disparity between nursing education and practice readiness underscores a critical issue, but the specific causes are unclear. Given the increased acuity of patients, the increasing nationwide nursing staffing crisis, and rapid progress in healthcare technology, the seamless integration of new graduates into professional practice has gained significant importance. Exploring the role of variables associated with education delivery models (in-person, online, and hybrid) in nursing practice readiness is absent from existing literature.
Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive correlational design study was to determine the relationship between nursing education delivery models, transactional distance, and new graduate nursing (NGN) practice readiness.
Theoretical Framework: Moore’s theory of transactional distance describes transactional distance as a psychological and communication gap between learners and faculty, resulting from the interactions of the education program’s structure, dialogue between learner and faculty, and the expected autonomy of the learner. Moore’s theory states that as program structure flexibility decreases, learner-faculty interaction decreases, or expectations of autonomy increase, transactional distance increases. High transactional distance leads to poor motivation, disengagement, isolation, and attrition.
Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design. Data were collected from 189 prelicensure BSN students in the last six weeks of their nursing education program in eight programs in the Midwest and Texas, before beginning employment. Participants completed a REDCap survey comprised of the Transactional Distance Measurement instrument, the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale, and demographic data.
Results: The analysis of research question one indicated significant relationships between education delivery method and faculty dialogue, total dialogue, and the transactional distance subscale. Correlation analysis for research question two demonstrated strong correlations between practice readiness and program structure, dialogue, and the overall score on the transactional distance measurement instrument. Other notable findings include no relationship between education delivery method and practice readiness or previous employment as a nursing tech or nursing aid and practice readiness. There was no relationship between the number of clinical hours completed during nursing education or the percentage of those hours completed in simulation and practice readiness. Although class size did not impact practice readiness, it did affect the structure and student dialogue variables, which correlate to practice readiness. While curriculum format did not affect practice readiness, it did influence faculty dialogue, total dialogue, and the transactional distance subscale, which also correlate to practice readiness.
Conclusion: This study found no relationship between education delivery methods and new graduate nursing practice readiness, but highlights the influence of variables from Moore’s theory of transactional distance. Significant relationships between delivery methods and factors including dialogue and the transactional distance subscale were observed. Program structure, dialogue, and transactional distance strongly correlated with practice readiness. These findings emphasize the importance of dialogue and community-building to reduce student disengagement, highlighting the need for flexible, interactive nursing education, regardless of class size or curriculum format, to enhance practice readiness.
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2024-12-31
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Nursing, Education, Moore's theory of transactional distance, new graduate practice readiness, nursing education, nursing practice readiness, transactional distance