The Affective Domain in Nursing Education: Educators' Perspectives

Abstract

Affective learning in nursing education continues to be important in the development of professional values. Affective learning is defined as a type of learning that reaches the emotional and belief system of those who facilitate and participate in it and establishes attitudes and professional values. There is limited exploration of affective learning in nursing education. How educators are facilitating learning in this domain is important to future nursing education practice as it transforms to meet new societal and health care demands. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning, experience and the act of teaching in the affective domain as described by experienced nurse educators. Naturalistic inquiry techniques were used to answer the research question. Fifteen experienced nurse educators were recruited via snowball technique and asked to contribute stories about the affective domain and engage in a conversation about affective learning. Protections of human subjects' protocols were followed. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and data were collected via digital audiotape and field texts. Data were coded and examined with attention to the research relationship utilizing thematic and structural analysis techniques. Naturalistic inquiry trustworthiness was established with evidence in an audit trail. This audit trail included documentation of the research process, transcriptions of the narratives generated, and reflective notes on made during the inquiry. Participants shared experiences with affective learning and a process for learning in the affective domain was described. The richness of the data is anticipated to contribute to the science of nursing education in the development of professional nurses.