INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING SESSIONS IN UNDERGRADUATED NURSING STUDENTS

BACKGROUND
The process of adaptation of university studies to European Space of Higher Education has supposed a reformulation of traditional educational model making necessary to implement more active, reflexive, and participative learning methods.

In that context, a group of professors at Algeciras Nursing School (University of Cadiz, Spain) has been carrying out an innovation project since 2005 based on the application of new methodologies to nursing education.

OBJETIVES
Based on the interdisciplinary nature of subjects involved in this project, we have intended to provide students the skills necessary to integrate and apply the knowledge acquired in all of them by means of the resolution of only one shared activity. Thereby the students can get an overall view useful for apply general care to patients.

METHOD
The project is carrying out on the second academic year of the University Degree in Nursing involving eighty students per year and four subjects which concern to the Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy and the Department of Medicine.

The educational methodology is based principally on problem-based learning. To carry out the activity the students must work in groups to solve a problem that involve the skills they must have acquired by all the subjects that participate in project. Teachers supervise the teamwork by collective and group tutoring sessions.

FINDINGS
After three academic years of experience we think that the accomplishment of that kind of activities by students foments the acquisition of important skills such as teamwork, time management, practical application and integration of knowledge. These results have been validated by the data obtained in a survey conducted among students after the accomplishment of the activity.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
As result of the development of the project, we have arrived at the following conclusions regarding the use of a shared activity that involves several subjects:

It promotes the acquisition of transversal skills, the integration of the contents of the different disciplines as well as an overview of implementation of nursing care.
It encourages teamwork among students and teachers.
Collaboration and the expansion of knowledge to other subjects are fomented among teachers.
An efficient tutoring system is needed.
The evaluation system facilitates the implication of all group members in the resolution of the activity.