Setting standards and maintaining consistency

Participants indicated the importance of high teaching standards that are applied consistently to instill trust. Standards would be set in theory and clinical areas and include teaching and assessment policies, regulations and rules.

3.4.2.1 Standards in the teaching and learning environment

Standards in the teaching and learning environment refer to consistency and expected similarities regarding educators’ assessments, campuses and procedures in the theoretical and clinical environment. Inconsistency influences trust. Participants viewed that in the simulation rooms the correct standards of the procedure were taught, but students were unable to maintain the same standards in the CLE.

“... Students say that ‘we were taught differently at the college, now we are doing it differently so ... we do not trust you, because we do not see the correct things happening like we were instructed.” (A1)

Participants indicated that assessment standards differed among educators resulting in a lack of trust from students. Participants emphasised that all educators should maintain the same standards during assessment of students, to promote trust in all educators.

“This can cause confusion to the students because I am strict with this and this and this point and maybe it is not that the same with the other lecturer.... We are doing the same thing but do not have the same standard.” (A1)

“That is when they lack trust in us because they think if you are ... more standards, they think you are the cruel one. And that one that has low standards is the good one. So at the end of the day we do not produce the product ... you know the well behave, focused students, because we are having double standards.” (B1)

The need to maintain the standards among the different multi-campuses was raised. Participants maintained that standards differed between campuses and this created double standards. Implementation of basic principles of assessments should be aligned in different disciplines.

“The campuses standards are not the same ... remember we are managers on a certain level, now if our standards are low down here, we are not assisting you, to control the standards. So all of us we are all responsible in some way for this lack.” (B1)

“... because one student asked that “why is it not the same in other disciplines.” (A1)

Participants verbalised that unethical behaviour of some of their colleagues lowered the standards of nursing education.

“It lowers our standards, it lowers our standards. But it has not been scientifically proven to the extent to which it is a hush-hush thing, where you suspect, you suspect that lecturer so and so has done some favours to the students, but the fact is no matter how little it is happening, it lowers the standards of the education.” (C2)

Participants indicated that enhancing teaching standards could improve the trust in the delivering of nursing care and nursing. The image of nursing education may be enhanced by producing competent nurses.

“To better the standard in nursing care because at the end and we need to be able to be proud of our product and this is the ideal registered nurse that we really want in our society, because there are complaints from the society, unless we as lecturers change our standards we really need to pull up the standards, the things will never change. We need to improve … I do not know we should improve our standards on our side as lecturers, a thing that is another area that really needs to be attended to it, to us ... the lecturers from our side ... how we present ourselves as lecturers, because from us our dignity, we lower ourselves our dignity.” (B2)

The standards in nursing education varied from procedures that were taught and implemented differently, educator differences during assessments, differences in the standards of disciplines and on campuses. Standardisation enhances trust in educators, and creates a positive image of nursing. Participants emphasised that even when standards were maintained, the need existed to be consistent with implementation.

3.4.2.2 Maintain consistency

Policies, rules and regulation in the teaching and learning environment were set by the NEIs. Participants verbalised that the implementation of these policies, regulations and

rules needed to be applied and implemented consistently in all teaching contexts. Policy prescriptions were to be adhered to by all educators. Consistency would create a predictable environment and students would be able to perform within these boundaries as expected from educators.

“I think we need, we need to have discipline and we need to have consistency. Because, if you tell somebody that you want something and they do not do it, and they get away with it, then you need discipline and you need consistency.” (C3) “I think the trust between me and my colleagues is like things that they will implement regulations and do the same way I do.” (A3)

Inconsistencies by educators during clinical assessments caused confusion for students. Preves and Stephenson (2009:254) indicate that consensus in teaching and assessments have implications for educators’ credibility and students’ learning. In the current study it was clear that fair and accurate theoretical assessments were required by students as a condition for trust. Educators should be aware that their mistakes and inconsistencies during assessments increased doubt and uncertainty in students.

“... to me it eventually confuses the student and also it comes then ... if they do not know what is the correct way ... this lecturer expects this from me and this lecturer expects that from me. So I think it can have an impact on trust.” (A1) 17 “... from the start you marked correctly, if you are doubted ... if you are marking, you mark correctly if you are assessing, you ask the next person to assist you, marking it and calculating the marks.” (B1)

“... But sometimes another student will be saying that ‘this is not happening for the first time, I wonder if she does not have something against me’, especially when it happens accidentally twice with the student. The students do become cautious around you.” (C2)

“When you say that you are a professional you should work as a team, if I say ‘No, this thing is wrong’ to a student, the next lecturer should also say this thing is wrong. It should not be an issue of now you are seen as the bad one and the other lecturer is good because he or she allows all things to the student so that she is been loved by the students.” (B1)

“When one lecturer is stricter than the other one it creates a problem ... it really creates a problem because the students, they really run away from the strict lecturer to that one.” (B2)

Huybrecht et al (2011:277) conclude that educators should be trustworthy with standardised assessments to prevent assessments where educators “fail to fail an unsafe student”.

Participants held the standpoint that consistency is required among educators regarding the implementation of policies, standards and assessments in nursing education to enhance trusting relationships and teamwork. Inconsistency creates a barrier to trust in teaching and learning.

“... The very same thing not applying the standards, because say maybe I am strict when the student comes late at class, if they come late, I discipline them. You as the next lecturer maybe you do not worry about them come late. Then obviously they mistrust.” (B1)

Participants verbalised their concerns that the education and teaching in a multi-campus context should be implemented consistently throughout all campuses.

“... On the (X) Campus this was not taught to the students but you are teaching it. And then I have to tell them to be able to understand you need this. So you’ve got to need this knowledge and build up from that ground. That is mostly what they are used to complain about.” (C1)

The study of Righetti and Finkenauer (2011:878) supports the perception that self- control influences trust in another person. Participants’ viewpoints were that emotional control of educators influenced the behaviour of students.

“You control your temper, I know we get so furious at a time, but you must really contain yourself and control your temper. Emotion and intelligence and control them.” (B3)

Incongruence in educators’ communication and professional actions affected trust negatively. It hampered the students’ confidence to approach the educator again.

“You know ... yes that is us in the classroom. ... So we cannot be one person in the corridor and another person in the classroom. Or one person is different with you than I am. I must be the same, I must always be professional.” (C3)

Consistency in the implementation of policies, rules and regulations, and congruency of expression of emotions and behaviour were viewed as important by participants. Maintaining standards and being consistent was the cornerstone of professionalism of the educator.