Sandra Mackey1, Cannas Kwok2, Judith Anderson3, Deborah Hatcher4, Sharon Laver5, Cathy Dickson6, Lyn Stewart7. 1. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: s.mackey@westernsydney.edu.au. 2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: c.kwok@westernsydney.edu.au. 3. School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst Campus, Bathurst, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: juanderson@csu.edu.au. 4. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: d.hatcher@westernsydney.edu.au. 5. School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Charles Sturt University, Albury Wodonga Campus, Albury, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: slaver@csu.edu.au. 6. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: C.dickson@westernsydney.edu.au. 7. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: lyn.stewart@westernsydney.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses have a pivotal role in changing the focus of the health system toward a primary health care approach, yet little is known about the effectiveness of nursing students' educational preparation for this role. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate undergraduate Australian nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes toward the primary health care approach. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was applied. SETTING: Two Australian universities, one with a rural base and one in the metropolitan area of Sydney, were involved. Both universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate nursing courses on multiple campuses. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 286 undergraduate nursing students, each of whom had completed a unit of study on PHC. All provided consent to participate in the study. METHODS: Data was collected using the Primary Health Care Questionnaire via online survey platform SurveyMonkey for a period of three weeks in June 2015. RESULTS: Total knowledge scores ranged from 19.68 to 95.78 with the mean knowledge score being 69.19. Total attitude scores ranged from 33.12 to 93.88 with a mean score of 70.45. Comparison of knowledge scores showed mean scores of students born in Australia were significantly higher than those of students who were born overseas (p=0.01), and mean scores of students enrolled in the metropolitan university were also significantly higher than mean scores of students' enrolled in the rural university (p=0.002). In terms of attitudes scores, mean scores of Australian-born students were significantly higher than those of students born overseas (p=0.001), and older students' mean attitude scores were shown to be significantly higher than younger students' (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Student's age, country of origin and university location were shown to be significant influences on student's knowledge of and attitudes toward primary health care.
BACKGROUND: Nurses have a pivotal role in changing the focus of the health system toward a primary health care approach, yet little is known about the effectiveness of nursing students' educational preparation for this role. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate undergraduate Australian nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes toward the primary health care approach. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was applied. SETTING: Two Australian universities, one with a rural base and one in the metropolitan area of Sydney, were involved. Both universities offer undergraduate and postgraduate nursing courses on multiple campuses. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 286 undergraduate nursing students, each of whom had completed a unit of study on PHC. All provided consent to participate in the study. METHODS: Data was collected using the Primary Health Care Questionnaire via online survey platform SurveyMonkey for a period of three weeks in June 2015. RESULTS: Total knowledge scores ranged from 19.68 to 95.78 with the mean knowledge score being 69.19. Total attitude scores ranged from 33.12 to 93.88 with a mean score of 70.45. Comparison of knowledge scores showed mean scores of students born in Australia were significantly higher than those of students who were born overseas (p=0.01), and mean scores of students enrolled in the metropolitan university were also significantly higher than mean scores of students' enrolled in the rural university (p=0.002). In terms of attitudes scores, mean scores of Australian-born students were significantly higher than those of students born overseas (p=0.001), and older students' mean attitude scores were shown to be significantly higher than younger students' (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Student's age, country of origin and university location were shown to be significant influences on student's knowledge of and attitudes toward primary health care.