Student leader ponders key issues for nursing students.

As chair of NZNO's National Student Unit (NSU), I am delighted to contribute the editorial to this issue of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, which has a focus on students. I am keen to highlight key issues relating to student education and to suggest ways NZNO can assist nursing students. Information for this editorial was obtained through dialogue and correspondence with nursing students and Lecturers around the country and from relevant Literature. This issue also features two articles about cultural safety, a topic nursing students are well versed in, and one in which the Nursing Council requires competency, in order to gain registration. Cultural safety papers are taught throughout the bachelor of nursing (BN). The Council's definition of cultural safety includes gender. (1) Ironically, the issue I found most significant through my communication with students was that of mate students feeling unsupported and discriminated against, both in the classroom and in clinical settings. Mate students feel they are sometimes taught in a culturally unsafe manner. They acknowledge nursing is a female-dominated profession; however they feel additional support and recognition of their unique culture is absent. An example of this is communication styles. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, according to author Jahn Grey. (2) Men and women communicate differently, and mate students feel they have been criticised for answering questions in a masculine way, ie thinking and analysing before speaking. Often female Lecturers/tutors see this as hesitancy and a tack of knowledge by the mate student. The May 2003 issue of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand focused on men in nursing. An article titled "Mate student experienced a sense of isolation", suggested mate students had a more straight forward agenda than their female counterparts. (3) The male interviewee stated "men tended not to talk about the things we needed to do, we just did them". Furthermore, he felt isolated at times, recalling a social science paper in which the course readings were from a woman's point of view, something he found difficult to associate with and Learn from. No male student passed that paper. Lastly, the interviewee mentioned feeling further isolated in class tutorials, when questions regarding testicular cancer were treated as a joke. These comments highlight some of the differences in communication and Learning styles between "Mars" and "Venus".

Female perspective in subject delivery

Having read the article, I asked 24 male students from the Southern Institute of Technology, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and Massey University (Palmerston North) if they had had similar experiences. All stated the delivery of subject matter was often from a female perspective. Fair enough, one might say, considering more than 90 percent of nursing students are female. However, a female NSU delegate believed males were treated in a culturally unsafe way, noting Lecturers often referred to the class as "girts" or "Ladies". Students of both genders asked why mate students were not given clinical placements in practice areas where there were high numbers of mate nurses, eg orthopaedics. Male students want to feel supported, particularly on clinical placements, where the understanding and experience of mate nurses is available.

The NSU delegates and students I spoke with believed a disproportionately high number of mate students were hew back for six months or more. I cannot say why these students failed a paper, nor do I suggest they should have passed. But it is important to highlight this situation. A number of mate nurses I spoke to, who had been held back and who had subsequently graduated, felt more mate support during the time they were struggling, would have helped. I am presenting a paper on issues facing male nursing students at this month's NZNO board of directors' meeting. I am confident NZNO writ support it and am hopeful a mentorship programme for mate nursing students can be developed and implemented in nursing schools.

NZNO chief executive Geoff Annals also wrote an article in the issue dedicated to men in nursing. (4) Paradoxically, his article told of positive discrimination, saying he was nurtured and looked out for by his female colleagues.

Another concern of NSU delegates is that too much emphasis is placed on theory in the BN programme, at the expense of practice; that students are writing essays and research papers when they could be consolidating their hands-an nursing skills. The Nursing Council recently reduced the number of clinical hours from 1500 to 1100 over the three-year degree. Students feet they now have even less preparation for the nursing world. Fewer clinical hours and too many different clinical tutors has left students feeling incompetent. Several delegates felt clinical staff were unskilled and ill-prepared to teach in their allocated setting, either because they came from an academic setting or they did not have the clinical expertise for that particular practice area. This is not a straightforward issue and won't be solved quickly. The range of placements and having qualified staff to educate students depends on both funding and availability.

Political apathy

Students' political apathy is another key issue. Many students feet the BN workload is arduous enough, without taking on additional responsibilities. Delegates believe many students are unaware of the benefits NZNO offers. NZNO membership offers full indemnity insurance for students, scholarships and health insurance. However, the primary benefit of membership is the solidarity it engenders. Students need to feel supported and strong and, as NZNO members, they have the strength and support of 38,000 others. Many voices speaking in support of a single cause can change outcomes and build a better future for ourselves and others.

References

1) Nursing Council of New Zealand (1996) Definition of cultural safety. Wellington: The Author.

2) Gray, J. (1993) Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: A practical guide for improving communication and getting what you want in your relationship. New York: Harper Collins Paperbacks.

3) O'Connor, T. (2003) Male student experienced a sense of isolation. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand; 9: 4, 21.

4) Annals, G. (2003) Discrimination brings advantages. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand; 9: 4, 23.

Jennifer Reid is a third-year nursing student at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. She was elected chair of NZNO's National Student Unit at NZNO's annual conference in September Last year. Students wanting to contact her about issues raised in this editorial or on other issues can do so at: [e-mail].