Nursing students are a diverse group yet they share a vocational outlook. Basically, nursing is seen as a great job to have, and an internationally recognized and transferable skill.
The student group is diverse in many ways.
The gender mix this year is 100 female to 10 male students.
The age range in 2010 was 18 to 49 years. This year the range is from 18 to 57 years.
Some students have family and dependants to support. Financial resources may be limited.
Many students have part-time employment, often in a health related field.
Approximately 60% of this year’s intake comes from outside of the Otago region. Ten students are based in Timaru, and one student commutes daily from Milton.
Some students have received a scholarship to study.
There is a mix of international and national students. International students pay higher fees to study.
Different ethnic (e.g. Maori, Indian) and religious (e.g. Muslim) groups are represented.
This makes the job of teaching interesting and challenging!
What a diverse group. Isn't it interesting that the age range has increased upwards. What sort of strategies are in place to cater to the differing needs of these students? I would be interested to find out more about their computer skills and digital information literacy, and whether this is gauged in some way prior to undertaking online study. There are a number of surveys in use to estimate this important skill area. Contact me if you wish to find out more. Bronwyn
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