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International Journal of Current Science Research and Review: An Evidenced-Based Information for Curriculum Update and its Implications in Quality Assurance

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Abstract

The Faculty of Nursing ensures the quality of education it provides is suitable to the health needs to meet the demands and challenges of health care in the country. Deemed to produce future nursing leaders and educators, the faculty has undertaken its first graduate tracer study. Graduate tracer studies obtain both intrinsic and extrinsic results and benefits. Intrinsic results can be used to point at areas for improvement in study programs and service delivery at universities. The study, based on the Commission on Higher Education-adapted survey questionnaire filled in by the Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates batch 2011-2017. With descriptive-normative research design and snowball sampling technique, smoothed the way for 126 respondents out of 189 graduates. Data showed a predominance of females over males, single over married, mostly within 2528 years of age. Majority were employed as full time in a government health facility, as well as with satisfaction in their work as a nurse ascribable to monetary remuneration. The job placement rate of the graduates is 65%, filling in the shortage of nurses in Libya. The competency-based curriculum is consistent, aligned and relevant to the nursing job requirements in Libya. Accorded well to the World Health Organization's patient safety curriculum, 'Safe and Quality Nursing Care' competency appraised as the most used in their area of nurse work. Followed by 'communication', 'human relations', 'research', 'problem solving', and 'leadership'. 'Critical thinking' however deemed as least used competency in the care of patients. The study recommends regular graduates tracking, further curriculum development and policy on educational achievement as one of the criteria for remuneration. Furthermore, researches on topics related to extent of knowledge and application of the learned competencies in nursing education, employability and the employers' preferences on employability of the graduates, job satisfaction and its factors among graduates and competencies used by nurse-employed and non-nurse employed nursing graduates. Lastly, an assessment of the faculty's program and learning is essential for teaching innovations' upgrade and development not to disregard strategies to improve critical thinking abilities and use among nurses in their area of practice. This is to achieve the end goal of this present study, to entrench quality assurance within the faculty from the evidenced-information in distinction to the voice of its graduates. INTRODUCTION The Faculty of Nursing University of Tripoli, Libya ensures that the quality of education it provides is suitable to the health needs to meet the demands and challenges of health care in the country. Deemed to produce future nursing leaders and educators, the faculty has undertaken its first graduate tracer study. Graduate tracer studies obtain both intrinsic and extrinsic results and benefits. Intrinsic results can be used to point at areas for improvement in study programs and service delivery at universities (1). The authors embraced this first graduate tracer study (GTS) much for the following reasons: valuable information for the development of the university, evaluate the relevance to higher education, contribute to accreditation process as well as to inform students, parents, lecturers and the administration (2). There are renowned and ongoing graduate tracer studies such as KOAB, REFLEX, INDOTRACE, DEHEMS and CHEERS which purports specific phases with the dissemination of tracer results as the enduring
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1013 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
Page No.-1013-1022
Graduate Tracer Study of the Faculty of Nursing University of Tripoli,
Libya: An Evidenced-Based Information for Curriculum Update and its
Implications in Quality Assurance
Leonora Tilda Lesaca RN MN1, Ma. Liza P. Tingzon RN MAN2, Joyce Juanita De Vera RN MAN3, Jane
Fabian, RN MAN4, Carol Mojica RN MN5, Karen Sanita RN RM MAN6, Cristina Tinay RN MAN7, Evelyn
Macasieb RN MSN8, Lamour Laureta RN, RM, MAN9
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9Faculty of Nursing, University of Tripoli, Libya
ABSTRACT: The Faculty of Nursing ensures the quality of education it provides is suitable to the health needs to meet the demands
and challenges of health care in the country. Deemed to produce future nursing leaders and educators, the faculty has undertaken its
first graduate tracer study.
Graduate tracer studies obtain both intrinsic and extrinsic results and benefits. Intrinsic results can be used to point at areas
for improvement in study programs and service delivery at universities. The study, based on the Commission on Higher Education-
adapted survey questionnaire filled in by the Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates batch 2011-2017. With descriptive-normative
research design and snowball sampling technique, smoothed the way for 126 respondents out of 189 graduates. Data showed a
predominance of females over males, single over married, mostly within 2528 years of age. Majority were employed as full time in
a government health facility, as well as with satisfaction in their work as a nurse ascribable to monetary remuneration. The job
placement rate of the graduates is 65%, filling in the shortage of nurses in Libya. The competency-based curriculum is consistent,
aligned and relevant to the nursing job requirements in Libya. Accorded well to the World Health Organization’s patient safety
curriculum, ‘Safe and Quality Nursing Care’ competency appraised as the most used in their area of nurse work. Followed by
‘communication’, ‘human relations’, ‘research’, ‘problem solving’, and ‘leadership’. ‘Critical thinking’ however deemed as least
used competency in the care of patients.
The study recommends regular graduates tracking, further curriculum development and policy on educational achievement
as one of the criteria for remuneration. Furthermore, researches on topics related to extent of knowledge and application of the
learned competencies in nursing education, employability and the employers’ preferences on employability of the graduates, jo b
satisfaction and its factors among graduates and competencies used by nurse-employed and non-nurse employed nursing graduates.
Lastly, an assessment of the faculty’s program and learning is essential for teaching innovations’ upgrade and development no t to
disregard strategies to improve critical thinking abilities and use among nurses in their area of practice. This is to achieve the end
goal of this present study, to entrench quality assurance within the faculty from the evidenced-information in distinction to the voice
of its graduates.
KEYWORDS: Competencies, Employability, Graduates, Tracer Study
INTRODUCTION
The Faculty of Nursing University of Tripoli, Libya ensures that the quality of education it provides is suitable to the health needs
to meet the demands and challenges of health care in the country. Deemed to produce future nursing leaders and educators, the
faculty has undertaken its first graduate tracer study. Graduate tracer studies obtain both intrinsic and extrinsic results and benefits.
Intrinsic results can be used to point at areas for improvement in study programs and service delivery at universities (1). The authors
embraced this first graduate tracer study (GTS) much for the following reasons: valuable information for the development of the
university, evaluate the relevance to higher education, contribute to accreditation process as well as to inform students, parents,
lecturers and the administration (2). There are renowned and ongoing graduate tracer studies such as KOAB, REFLEX,
INDOTRACE, DEHEMS and CHEERS which purports specific phases with the dissemination of tracer results as the enduring
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1014 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
Page No.-1013-1022
methodological step declared as very important (1,3,4). To infer, the Training on University Graduate Tracer Studies (UNITRACE
2.0, 2016) and the University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), together with German Academic Exchange Service and the Dialogue
on Higher Education Strategies (5) arranged the:
Demand for empirical evidence regarding the professional relevance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) study programs
using graduate tracer studies.
HEIs require graduate tracer studies (GTS) for accreditation of study programs.
HEIs interested in feedback from their graduates on the quality of education.
As had already been said, the information, feedback, recommendations and evaluative proposals from this study will be used
to entrench a culture of quality assurance. In this regard, the evidenced information from our graduates will focus, refine and
provide data. This is an evidence to guide quality culture in the health care system in Libya. The information the graduate nurses
provided in the study will improve education and health care. This is to accost that paramount to graduate tracer surveys are the
results and their utilization to improve quality of study programs and services for the faculty. To bring benefit, the European Training
Foundation (ETF), International Labor Office (ILO) and European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (6), guided
the anticipation, matching skills and jobs of graduates thru GTS results. It is not clandestine to everyone that in some parts of Libya,
nursing education whether diploma in higher education institution or bachelors’ degree in a university are both means to gain
employment and earn salary. Prior studies justified that nursing graduates may also be motivated with extrinsic conveniences of real
life situations like remuneration. To flip around that perspective so that we can rescind the goal to BSN, FON UOT Libya, we are
training graduates to offer competency driven and quality work for services and health development in Libyan soil. Unified on this
advantage of GTS, critical measure of success in workplaces is an employee’s ability to use competently the knowledge, skills and
values that match the needs of his job, satisfy the demands of his employer, and contribute to the overall achievement of institutional
goals (7). Point at issue is about employability of the BSN graduate nurses of the faculty. Employability as defined by The University
of Edinburg, UK is not the same as gaining a graduate job, rather it is about the capacity to function successfully in a role and be
able to move between occupations, thus remaining employable throughout their life. This is in light to the main aim of this graduate
tracer study, to determine the employment status of the graduates. It also delineates the graduates' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with
their work as a nurse. On top of that, usefulness of the learned competencies to gain information on the relevance of the curriculum
were hold up to view. These are the: ‘safe and quality nursing care’, ‘communication’, ‘human relations’ (respect for patients, ethico-
moral aspects), ‘research’, ‘problem solving’, ‘critical thinking’, and ‘leadership’.
METHODOLOGY
To attain the objectives of the study, the descriptive-normative survey design was used as well as snowball sampling technique to
facilitate a response rate of 67% or 126 respondents from 189. It is grounded that 30-40% return rate for graduate tracer studies is
considered credible owing to high propensity not to trace graduates after they leave the university (4,8, 9,). The survey questionnaire
adapted from the Commission on Higher Education (10) graduate tracer study was the main data gathering tool, slightly modified and
standardized for the purpose of the study, checked and approved by research experts. The questionnaire has two parts to show
variables of the study. First, socio-demographics as to gender, age, civil status, and area of specialization. Second, takes on
employment data, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with working as a nurse and the usefulness of learned competencies in their work
as a nurse. Ethical consideration and data gathering procedure were strictly observed. The reliable data bank of graduates from
academic year 2011 to 2017 were obtained from the Registrar's office. Data gathering started during the last week of January 2020
to end of February. The study has some limitations. First, the respondents was confined to reachable graduates only after reinforced
means like personal or face to face invitations to interviews, a web page built for this purpose, telephone calls and reminders, emails
and social media were undertaken. Graduates’ nursing job placement rate was identified excluding the employment rate.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 presents that most of the respondents were young adults belonging to age group of 25 to 28 years old, majority were females,
most remain single. For years, nursing is known to be a female dominated profession. Although at present, opportunities for
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1015 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
Page No.-1013-1022
employment are equally enjoyed by both male and female nurses, female nurses still occupy a greater portion of nursing positions
(11).
Table 1. Profile of the graduates (n=126)
A. GENDER
FREQUENCY
%
Female
83
65.88
Male
43
34.12
Total
126
100
B. CIVIL STATUS
Single
72
57.14
Married
51
40.47
Divorced
2
1.58
Widow
1
0.79
Total
126
100
C. AGE
25-28 years old
73
57.95
29-32 years old
48
38.09
33-35 years old
5
3.96
Total
126
100
Table 2 indicates the employment status of the graduates as well as their job placement. Majority, 82 or 65% were Full
time employed as a nurse while more than a third, 44 or 35% were not. This goes to say that 65% are presently employed in nursing
career for which they were trained, filling the nursing shortage in Libyan healthcare. All respondents were employed after graduation
represented by 0 or 0% for never employed. Similar result derived from a study in Malta, one-third of graduate participants were
not engaged in any employment at the time of survey’ (12). In any event, it is apparent that employment status among graduates were
due to the fact that being Libyans: being a married woman, being a woman and far from the workplace, having no relatives or friends
in workplace to monitor the treatment and relationships within the workplace and being not amenable to night shift among others.
Violative to the nursing shortage, some nursing graduates are found working in computer and technical jobs with high salaries, in
police work, business owners or managers, attending family businesses, pharmacies and many others.
Table 2: Employment status of the graduates as to working as nurse or not
Employment status
Frequency
%
Employed as a nurse
82
65
Fulltime
81
98.78
Part time
1
1.22
Not employed as a nurse
44
35
Never employed
0
0
Total
126
100%
Table 3 illuminates the aggregated data in table 2, 29 or 35% of the Full time nurses (n=81) were having part-time jobs as
nurses in another health facility. Part time jobs as defined by other authors as nurse’s dual practice, were largely ‘hidden’ element
in nursing workforce policy and practice, with an unclear impact on the delivery of care (13). Mounting evidence suggests that
holding multiple concurrent jobs (dual practice) is common among health workers in low- as well as high-income countries.
Per interview, graduate nurses of the FON verbalized the need to increase personal over-all earnings to meet the demands
of having a car and a home before marriage, with a couple of them: to support their families. This can be attributed to the fact that,
‘one of the main problems in Libya is the poor job satisfaction among medical staff and employees working in government hospitals,
due to many reasons such as bureaucratic obstacles and low salaries and incentives’ (19).
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1016 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
Page No.-1013-1022
Table 3. Part-time or Full-time status of the graduates employed as Nurse (n=81)
Frequency
%
29
35.80
52
64.2
81
100%
Table 4 defends the 44 or 35% of the total respondents who were not employed as a nurse during the data collection:
‘having a different job’ (21%), ‘further studies’
(11%) while majority gave ‘Other reasons’. It is observed, graduates who were not working as nurses concealed reasons of not
working as a nurse. None of them chose ‘health and family reasons’, ‘having a different job’, ‘did not look for a nurse job’ to ‘don’t
like to work as a nurse’. Dissimilar result from a study disclosed that ‘unemployed nurses in the Philippines have the following
reasons: family concerns, a decision not to search for a job or pursuing an advanced or future studies’ (14).
Table 4. Reasons of not being employed as a nurse (n=44)
Reasons of not working as a nurse
Frequency
%
Other reasons (not specified)
30
69
Having a different job
9
20
Further studies
5
11
Health and family reasons
0
0
Have a different job
0
0
Did not look for a job as a nurse
0
0
Don’t like to work as a nurse
0
0
Total
44
100%
Table 5 exhibits the type of institution the 82 employed nurses are working with, as to government or private facility. Fifty-
seven (57) or 69.5% of the respondents were working at a government run facility while 25 or 30.5% were employed at a private
health facility. In agreement to this finding is a result from a medical survey of the National Health Workforce Data from the
Department of Health of the Australian government: public sector positions offer enviable job security, support resources for
employees who are experiencing professional and performance issues (15). As observed, Libyan government personnel and staff are
supportive in terms of schedule preferences of its local nurses regarding part time jobs for economic purposes as well as maintaining
schooling for further studies.
Nevertheless, some Libyan private health facilities pay better than most of the government hospitals in the country which
serves the 30% of the graduates.
Table 5: Type of Institution they are employed (n=82)
Place of employment
Frequency
%
Government
57
69.50
Private
25
30.50
Total
82
100%
Table 6 gives way to the respondents' answer when asked if they are satisfied in working as a nurse. Seventy-two (72) or
87.82% out of eighty-two answered ‘Yes’, noteworthy that the BSN graduates were satisfied despite being in a demanding job. The
rest of the respondents four or 4.87% and six or 7.31% remained ‘not’ or ‘no answer’. In this case, there is a need to establish
necessary attention to ‘increase nurses' job satisfaction to increase patient safety and quality of care, decrease nursing absenteeism
and turnover, and positively influence the health of nurses’ (16).
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1017 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
Page No.-1013-1022
Table 6: Satisfaction in working as a nurse (n=82)
Satisfaction criteria
Frequency
%
Yes
72
87.82
No
4
4.87
No answer
6
7.31
Total
82
100
Graph 1 justifies the satisfaction of the graduates in working as a nurse (n=82). The highest reason of satisfaction among
others: sixty-four (64) or 88.88% for salary they obtain. Data is in contrast with the study in Malta: ‘salary level and opportuniti es
for promotion were of lowest levels of satisfaction among graduates’ (12).
Second reason of satisfaction in working as a nurse among Libyan graduates is ‘working in their area of specialization’ (39
or 54.16%), followed by ‘proximity of the work place to their home’ (24 or 33.33%), then ‘working with friends’ (13 or 18.05%).
One study consented that among their nursing graduates who landed jobs, majority were just satisfied with their current employment
condition as nurses. While others indicated that they were highly satisfied (17). A notable data from another nursing schools’ GTS,
most of the graduates stayed as practicing nurses because of its relatedness to the nursing profession. Some found the job challenging
while only but a few responded as due to compensation and benefits received (18).
Graph 2 elucidates the collective data from table 6: ‘Low salary’, ‘workplace far from home’, ‘having no friends at work’
and ‘others’ were the reasons of dissatisfaction. Getting a salary that is not enough for the daily needs is an ordinary reason for job
dissatisfaction. A result of one study preludes justice to this phenomenon: ‘employees and medical staff of Tripoli hospital are
generally not satisfied with all factors (work comfort, work treatment, salary, incentives) affecting job satisfaction which leads to
low performance of the said hospital, cause patients to look for hospital care outside Libya’ (19).
It is generally agreed that education pays. Higher education is associated with increased productive capacity and, provided
there is equal access, is often considered a fair and objective way of allotting people to different positions in the labor market and
in society on the basis of individual achievement (20). Still and all, it is transparently obvious that Bachelor of Science in Nursing
and Diploma Nursing graduates alike have the same salary prevailing in some institutions. However, some of both public and
Graph 1
Reasons of
:
satisfaction in working
as a Nurse
n = 82
88.88
%
%
54.16
33.33
%
18.05
%
1.38
%
%
0.00
10.00
%
%
20.00
30.00
%
%
40.00
50.00
%
%
60.00
70.00
%
%
80.00
%
90.00
100.00
%
Salary
Related to
Specialization
Proximity to Home
Working with
Friends
Others
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
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1018 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
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private-owned health facilities, were excluded in this operation, which makes them a good avenue for employment of BSN
graduates.
Table 7 presents the relevance and usefulness of the learned competencies of the graduates of FON UOT in their nursing
job. Taken away from graduates employed as nurses (n=82), majority signified that learned skills and competencies are useful in
their job as a nurse. Among the list, the provision of ‘Safe and Quality Nursing Care to patients’ appeared to be the most useful.
‘Communication’ and ‘Human Relations’ were ranked second and third, respectively. Almost in agreement with a study conducted
on graduates of teacher education, majority of respondents implied ‘communication skills’ and ‘human relations skills’ were most
useful in their job (21). Statistics major graduates said that to have good communication skill by way of the study field is an essential
competence in their field of work (22). Resonance from the distance education graduates in Malaysia, ‘Communication skills’ rated
with highest satisfaction, exhibited as the most improved item among other competencies (23). A reverberation from nursing
graduates in the Philippines, among the competencies identified necessary for nursing work, human relational skills achieved the
highest rating. This means that development of positive interpersonal relationship must be given emphasis throughout the
curriculum. The development of the right attitude towards patients, significant others, members of the health team, and even peers
must receive proper attention as this is necessary in building good human relationships (11). Undeniably, ‘communication skills’ as
a competency is inherent not only in nursing curriculum, proved necessary for teaching and learning too. Higher education adds
value by developing job-related skills and competencies that prepare students for the workplace (23,). To supplement this claim, a
study result posits ‘when graduates stay in their job for economic reason, they rationalize that communication skills and human
relation skills as part of their education preparation is very relevant to their jobs’ (24). The rest of the competencies inherent in the
Nursing curriculum of the Faculty of Nursing UOT like ‘Research’, ‘Problem
Solving’, and ‘Leadership’, were also appraised as useful by the respondents. Surprisingly, ‘Critical thinking’ sorted as the least
useful among the competencies in the workplace.
This goes to say that the curriculum of the FON UOT is consistent, aligned and relevant to nursing job requirements in
Libya. The faculty members prepared graduate nurses with competencies as well as knowledge, skills and attitudes needed in
everyday dealing with patients. The study gives broach to the fact, showed in the results section that seriously, graduates of 2011-
2017 gain competencies in their nursing field of discipline in FON UOT, and that the faculty contribute surpassingly to mold
graduates, these core competencies. The most remarkable of all, graduates themselves articulated that these knowledge-based
competences are useful in their work, on the very Libyan job scene. In a study of nursing graduates working as nurse practitioners,
majority believe that the program they pursued is very much aligned and relevant with their present jobs. According to them, the
college has prepared them per their expectations, not only with the competencies but with the values that are needed in their everyday
dealings with their patients (11). For the authors, these demonstrates that what the FON UOT are teaching BSN graduates in, is
Graph 2
Reasons for the feeling of dissatisfaction in their nursing job
:
(n=10)
%
10
10
%
20
%
%
20
0
%
5
%
10
%
%
15
%
20
25
%
Salary
Far from Home
No Friends
Other Reasons
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1019 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
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relevant to the nursing qualifications contrary to our foregoing observations and interviews to some students and graduates who in
no way consider nursing job or nursing service work as the momentous motivation for passing their BSN course. Instead,
rationalization goes like ‘engaged already’, working as police/officer already’, ‘business managers already’ who simply need
certificate’, ‘the course is the only open course offered and like something else’, apart from the fact that their parents knew they are
on another course like anesthesia and medical technology. Therefore, if the competencies graduates gained from the curriculum
only aid them to obtain certificates for display and self-presentation, not to mention promotion in their non-nursing job, ‘there is a
need to re-orient graduates’ mind sets to focus on application and use of competencies at work for development of service provision’
(9). Anyhow, results in this study shown high relevance of study competencies to nursing work employment. This reverberates that
there is a profound link between competencies acquired during university study and that universities contribution to acquisition of
these competencies by graduates and furthermore, graduates utilize the competencies during work’ (8, 9,).
Table 7. Relevance of learned competencies in their job
Rank Competencies
1
Safe and Quality Nursing Care
2
Communication
3
Human Relations: Respect for patients, Ethico-Moral aspects)
4
Research skills
5
Problem Solving
6
Leadership
7
Critical Thinking
Safe and Quality Nursing Care to patients as the predominantly useful in the nursing jobs of the BSN 2011-2017 graduates of FON
is accorded well to the WHO patient safety curriculum guide to medical schools (25). Since the beginning of the faculty in 2009, the
nurse educators implemented the WHO guided curriculum which have prevailed until recently notwithstanding updates every five-
year terms. This reflect realization of the different needs as well as changes in the Libyan health care system.
Patient safety curriculum topics as well as quality nursing care are incorporated in the major nursing subjects commencing from
first semester until the last semester of the degree. ‘Communication’ and communication technique is the overriding objective of
the subjects Mental Health Nursing and Psychology. Human relations as the supreme aim of Nursing Ethics and Leadership subject
have a prominent place in ethical decision making for patients. Not to mention the nurses’ code of ethics learned, the nurses will be
able to handle as well as avoid ethical delimmas then serve as role models in the nursing workplace among other degrees of nursing
in Libya. ‘Research’ helps nurses determine effective best practices and improve patient care. The primary motive for engaging with
research-based information by nurses can be argued, is to reduce clinical uncertainty and locating relevant research that will
increase the individual’s certainty that a particular course of action is most likely to lead to the desired outcomes (25). The
American Association of Colleges and Nursing Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (AAMC, QIPS), World Health
Organization (WHO) and diagnosis quality and safety emphasized teaching approaches and examples in nursing curricula, should
strive to be meaningful to students and have clear relevance to the workplace in order to be effective (26).
The graduates revealed that in working as a nurse, the least used knowledgebased competency is the ‘critical thinking’. This
situation is ruled out as ‘there is a substantial body of evidence to show that tasks, ward routines and rituals and procedur es,
socialization of neophytes in nursing are strong obstacles to use of critical thinking skills in nursing’(27). Although it is a disposition
to critically think as well as use the critical thinking skills to define patient problems accurately, nursing education has still a bigger
portion to mold graduates into critical thinkers. Appraising the critical thinking competencies in nursing education is a complex task
as it involves procedures and strategies that require considerable information like the patient cases the graduates handled in their
area of work. Critical thinking is an essential process for the safe, efficient and skillful nursing practice. The nursing education
programs should adopt attitudes that promote critical thinking and mobilize the skills of critical reasoning (28). Although critical
thinking is a highly valuable skill that has been widely studied, much more must be done in clinical practice, education and research
International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
DOI: 10.47191/ijcsrr/V4-i9-05, Impact Factor: 5.825
IJCSRR @ 2021
www.ijcsrr.org
1020 *Corresponding Author: Leonora Tilda Lesaca Volume 04 Issue 09 September 2021
Available at: ijcsrr.org
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to develop and strengthen critical thinking in these settings (29). This in turn will help ensure that nursing care has at its center
improving people's health and influencing healthcare systems and policies.
CONCLUSIONS
Majority of the graduates of the Faculty of Nursing 2011-2017 were females with age ranging from 25-35, mostly single. Most of
them employed as nurses, classified into working as full time, and part time. Most of the full timer nurses have part time jobs as
nurses while others remained. Both are satisfied with their work owing to salary they come by, working on their area of
specialization and their place of work is near their homes. The job placement rate of the graduates is 65%, filling in the shortage of
nurses in Libya. The competency-based curriculum of the FON UOT is consistent, aligned and relevant to the nursing job
requirements in Libya. Accorded well to the WHO patient safety curriculum, ‘Safe and Quality Nursing Care’ competency appraised
as the most used in their area of nurse work. Followed by ‘Communication’, ‘Human Relations’, ‘Research’, ‘Problem solving’,
and ‘Leadership’. ‘Critical Thinking’ however deemed as least used competency in the care of patients.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Regular graduates tracking to make sure that courses offered including clinical experiences are consistent, aligned with competency-
based curriculum, updated and relevant to the constant changing demands of health care.
Curriculum development must include increase in critical thinking skills for the graduates to address and critique the current
understanding of health and nursing, particularly patient care.
Policy makers may consider an educational achievement a standard for payment as well as provision of rewards and promotion for
motivation.
Yearly graduate tracer study and a more comprehensive graduate tracer study be employed to include all graduates of the
Faculty of Nursing for evidenced-based information and practice in their work as nurses in Libya. Suggestions mainly on topics
related to extent of knowledge and application of the learned competencies in nursing education, employability and the employers’
preferences on employability of the FON UOT BSN graduates, job satisfaction and its factors among graduates, competencies used
by nurse-employed and non-nurse employed nursing graduates, and their means of landing a job to reflect the culture of
employability. Lastly, an assessment of the faculty’s program and learning is essential for teaching innovations’ upgrade and
development not to disregard strategies to improve critical thinking abilities and use among nurses in their area of practice.
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Studies on what programmes graduates studied while at the University, and how this ties in with employment; "Graduate tracer studies", have now spread worldwide. Such studies help inform and revitalize university programmes thus; they improve quality of higher education and learning since they provide important feedback results for use. In addition, this paper argues that graduate tracer studies also help to analyse how competencies acquired by the graduates during their university study relate to their jobs, and how such can help in understanding of the relevance of university programmes to the job market. Basically, we attempt to answer if and how university training produces competencies applied at work, or if there is a mismatch between training and work? The paper is discussed within the context of two connecting variables; study outcomes at university and the job situation. The paper answers two research questions thus; how is the graduates' transition to the labour market? and, what competencies are utilised by graduates at work? From a graduate tracer study conducted at Moi University and results analysed from 10 graduate tracer studies done in East Africa, we argue that graduates offer feedback that universities can intrinsically use to improve study programmes including curricula, service and administration, but they importantly, provide results that link study to work environments. There is a strong relationship between the field of study undertaken by graduates and their work. Graduates from Moi University and from East African Universities reported robust competencies acquired from their studies that are important for work. The paper concludes that graduates obtain from university studies, essential competencies that are relevant for work on the job market. The paper informs the East African higher education landscape about how graduate tracer study results are useful, and in specific terms, how universities in the region are training graduates for relevant competencies they use on the job market.
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Handbook for Graduate Tracer Studies
  • H Schomburg
Schomburg, H. (2003). Handbook for Graduate Tracer Studies. International Center for Higher Education Research. University of Kassel. Retrieved from https://www.uni-kassel.de/incher