Experience of Alternative Practice Education for Trainees in Nursing Care Training Course : Exploration Using Q methodology

The purpose of this study was to improve the educational process to strengthen the professionalism of caregivers known to play a key role in the long-term care service system for the elderly. Therefore, in the process of fostering nursing care workers, characteristics of perceptions of those who experienced alternative practice were identified, typified, and explored through the Q methodology to confirm the meaning. In order to form the Q population, four study participants were interviewed in advance. Q samples on a total of 34 trainees' alternative practice education experiences were extracted through interview content and literature analysis. Q classification was conducted for 22 study participants. P samples were male and female trainees educated at the caregiver training center, 22 caregiver trainees with nursing assistant and social worker licenses corresponding to long-term care workers, and caregiver trainees corresponding to the general new class. Three recognition factors extracted by analyzing the data collected in Q sorting with the PC QUANL program explained 40.6% of the total variance. They were ‘rational inquiry’, ‘critical analysis’, and ‘realistic satisfaction’. According to implications of research results, this study proposes that it is important to improve the curriculum that can strengthen the professional competency of caregivers who respond to the era of integrated care in the community.