The influence of educators' first impression of learners on nursing education in Jordan: Students' and faculties' perspectives

Objective

This study investigated the impacts of first impressions on nursing education from the perspective of the educator and the student.

Method

A qualitative descriptive approach design was adopted. The study included faculty members and nursing students who were in their second, third, or fourth years. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were performed for data collection.

Findings

Nineteen individual interviews were conducted with fifteen nursing students and four faculty members, and three focus groups were performed with nursing students. The data analysis revealed the following themes: (1) the effects of first impression, both positive and negative; (2) the consequences of these impressions, including their effects on student grades and stereotyping; and (3) exaggerators to first impression, wherein the same instructor teaches different classes.

Conclusion

There is a need to raise the faculty's awareness about the influence of stereotyping and the impressions that they develop about their students and how it affects them.