International experiences of implementing the Fundamentals of Care Framework in nursing curricula

Krystle Waltrovitz; Tiffany Conroy; Rebecca Feo

doi:10.1515/ijnes-2024-0048

Article

International experiences of implementing the Fundamentals of Care Framework in nursing curricula

Krystle Waltrovitz , Tiffany Conroy and Rebecca Feo

Published/Copyright: December 27, 2024

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From the journal International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Volume 21 Issue 1

Abstract

Objectives

To explore university-based nurse educators’ experiences of implementing the Fundamentals of Care Framework in nursing curricula.

Methods

A qualitative research design employing interpretative phenomenological analysis was used. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with eight nursing educators in five different countries.

Results

The analysis identified three main themes: (1) Participants’ positive experiences when utilising the framework to link theory to practice; (2) strategies for implementing the framework, including considering the context for teaching, introducing the relationship dimension of the framework first, utilising case-based learning, and integrating the framework into laboratory skills sessions; and (3) limited availability of teaching and learning resources, highlighting the need for further resource availability.

Conclusions

This study has generated new knowledge from the perspectives of university-based nursing educators. Several strategies have been identified resulting in the formation of recommendations to help guide nurse educators. The Fundamentals of Care Framework was developed to address global deficits in how patients’ fundamental care needs are addressed. The knowledge from this study can assist nurse educators from different countries to implement the framework into nursing curricula. Utilising the framework in nursing curricula could help to transform nursing practice, by assisting nursing students to identify and meet their patients’ fundamental care needs.

Keywords: fundamentals of care; fundamentals of care framework; nursing curricula; nursing educators; nursing education

Corresponding author: Krystle Waltrovitz, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Sturt Rd 5042, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; and Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, Adelaide Nursing School, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia, E-mail: krystle.waltrovitz@flinders.edu.au

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to sincerely thank all the participants who gave their time and discussed their experiences to contribute to the study.

Research ethics: Ethics approval was granted on the 21st of August 2020 by the Flinders University Human Research Ethics Committee (project number 2122).
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission. [Krystle Waltrovitz]: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing-Original Draft, Writing – Review and Editing, Visualization, Project administration. [Tiffany Conroy]: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Review and Editing. [Rebecca Feo]: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Review and Editing.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The first author is a member of the International Learning Collaborative, participants did not have to (but could) be members also. The first author was a relatively recent member so there were limited pre-existing relationships with participants. The remaining authors on the study are administrators of the International Learning Collaborative and could have had pre-existing relationships with potential participants. To minimise any potential conflict of interest and to ensure voluntary participation, the second and third authors did not recruit participants or conduct any interviews. They were blinded to recruitment and to participants. The second and third authors only had access to interview transcripts and coding that had been deidentified by the first author using participant pseudonyms.
Research funding: No external funding.
Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

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Received: 2024-05-26

Accepted: 2024-11-08

Published Online: 2024-12-27

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2024-0048

Keywords for this article

fundamentals of care; fundamentals of care framework; nursing curricula; nursing educators; nursing education