Dornik E, Vidmar G, Zumer M. "Nursing education in Slovenia and its impact on nurses publishing in their professional journal" NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 25 (3): 197-203 APR 2005

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses:
Dornik E   ema.dornik at mf.uni-lj.si
Vidmar G   gaj.vidmar at mf.uni-lj.si
Zumer  M   maja.zumer at ff.uni-lj.si

Title: Nursing education in Slovenia and its impact on nurses publishing in
their professional journal

Author(s): Dornik E, Vidmar G, Zumer M

Source: NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 25 (3): 197-203 APR 2005

Document Type: Article   Language: English
Cited References: 10


Abstract:
The paper describes development of nursing education in Slovenia (from
Associate Degree to Diploma level, with BSN programme of brief duration) and
discusses its impact on structure and contents of the Journal of the
Slovenian Nursing Association (JSNA). Extensive bibliometric analysis was
performed on all scientific and technical papers published in the JSNA
between 1976 and 2001. Statistical analyses were carried out to study
characteristics and inter-relations of authorship, article type, cited
references and subject classification. A positive impact of improved and
extended education of nurses on quantity and quality of their publications
was confirmed. Nevertheless, further steps in terms of education and
research are needed fully to establish nursing as an independent profession
in Slovenia, and there is still much room for improving the standard of the
articles in the JSNA. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EXCERPT :
'CONCLUSION:
An extensive bibliometric analysis was performed on all the scientific and
technical papers published in the Journal of the Slovenian Nursing
Association between 1976 and 2001.  We demonstrated that higher educational
level of nurses leads to their more frequent publishing in the journal under
investigation.  One of the reasons for this is that any university-level
study provides them with at least basic training in scientific and technical
writing.

The number of foreign authors is small, so the editorial board should strive
for more international cooperation.  At the same time, it is reasonable to
expect that noteworthy results arising from Slovenian researchers in the
field of nursing working together with their colleagues from abroad achieve
publication in internationally renowned journals, rather than in the JSNA.

An increasing trend in the number of cited references per article over time
was confirmed, but the average age of cited references was not found to
differ significantly between 2-year periods.  Furthermore, the increasing
share of nurses with university degree among the authors, together with the
growth in the number of cited references, did not bring about a rise in the
percentage of cited foreign-language journal articles.

When analysing article type, we found that almost one third of the research
articles were contributed by nurses with a Bachelor degree.  Among the
health professionals, MDs were the most frequent authors of review articles,
while AD-level nurses contributed the largest percentage of technical articles.

Subject classification structure varies notably over 2-year periods and
indicates that nurses are increasingly involved in research in their field.
 A significant role in this process can be attributed to nurses with
university-level degree, since in addition to nursing practice, health
education topics prevail among the research articles (co) authored by nurses.

In conclusion, it should be stressed that nurses in Slovenia are still
struggling for the right to study for a university degree in their own
field.  Research is the basis of any proession, and dissemination of new
findings and existing knowledge in the field of nursing should be encouraged
as the basis for further development of theory and practice of nursing."



Addresses: Dornik E (reprint author), Univ Ljubljana, Fac Med, Inst Biomed
Informat, Vrazov Trg 2, Ljubljana, SI-1000 Slovenia
Univ Ljubljana, Fac Med, Inst Biomed Informat, Ljubljana, SI-1000 Slovenia
Univ Ljubljana, Dept Lib & Informat Sci & Book Studies, Fac Arts, Ljubljana,
SI-1000 Slovenia

E-mail Addresses: ema.dornik at mf.uni-lj.si, gaj.vidmar at mf.uni-lj.si,
maja.zumer at ff.uni-lj.si

Publisher: CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE, JOURNAL PRODUCTION DEPT, ROBERT STEVENSON
HOUSE, 1-3 BAXTERS PLACE, LEITH WALK, EDINBURGH EH1 3AF, MIDLOTHIAN, SCOTLAND

IDS Number: 916GX
ISSN: 0260-6917

Cited References:
*SLOV NURS ASS, 2000, J SLOVENIAN NURSING, V34, P90.
*VIS ZDRAVSTV SOL, 2001, VODN STUD STUD LET 2.
DORNIK E, 1997, THESIS PEDAGOSKA FAK.
DORNIK E, 2002, THESIS FILOZOFSKA FA.
KALISCH B, 1988, NURSING TODAYS WORLD, P25.
LONGSTAFF TA, 2002, RISK ANAL, V22, P1.
MICETICTURK D, 1999, VISOKA ZDRAVSTVENA S, V7, P8.
PAHOR M, 1988, THESIS FAKULTETA SOZ.
PAHOR M, 1989, ZDRAVSTVENI OBZORNIK, V23, P43.
WITT B, 1992, J NURS EDUC, V31, P149.