An investigation into adult nursing students' experience of the relevance and application of behavioural sciences (biology, psychology and sociology) across two different curricula

Curriculum development for nurse education is constantly changing to reflect the sociopolitical context and medical advancement. Throughout this process the contribution of the behavioural sciences to each curriculum has been widely debated. Nurse educators encourage students to acquire and develop academic knowledge to underpin their practical skills and professional competencies. However with new political agendas science content within the new curricula is being marginalised, [United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting, 1999. Fitness for Practice. London, UKCC]. This qualitative study investigated adult branch nursing students' experiences of the behavioural sciences while studying two different curricula: one a new integrated delivery of the sciences, the other involving discrete science modules. The study utilised focus group interviews at two distinct phases of their courses: 12-18 and 24-30 months. Each interview was tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and inductive thematic analysis [Hayes, N., 1997. Doing Qualitative Analysis in Psychology. Psychology Press Erlbaum Taylor & Francis Ltd.] was applied. This article reports the findings and discusses the relevance of the sciences to students and their patient care, and how the sciences underpin their view of health and illness.