Comparison of Educational Environment of Undergraduate Medical and Nursing Students in a South Indian Medical College

The educational environment plays a major role in students’ learning. It is one of the most important determining factors of an effective curriculum. Student's perception of their educational environment has a great impact on their response to the learning processes. This study was done using the DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) questionnaire to evaluate and compare the educational environments of undergraduate medical with nursing students in NRI Medical College in Andhra Pradesh.

To evaluate and compare the educational environment in a medical college setting with reference to undergraduate medical and nursing students.

This cross-sectional, descriptive study was done during the months from October to December 2016 in the NRI Academy of Sciences campus. The study involved a convenient sample of 205 medical and 100 nursing students who have completed at least 1 year of study. The DREEM questionnaire consists of a 50-item inventory (5 sub-scales) scored on a 5-point Likert scale. High scores indicate a positive environment. The data was ascribed scores, and comparison was made between medical and nursing students using tables and graphs with percentages. Important findings were subjected to statistical tests at 5% level of significance.

The overall DREEM score obtained was 116/200 among medical students and 110/200 among nursing students which is on par with other similar institutions in India. This study shows a decrease in student satisfaction as they progress in their course from second to third year. Gender difference can be seen, with female medical students and male nursing students being more satisfied with their educational environment. In nursing students, the academic satisfaction was higher; however, the stress they felt during the course was also high. The medical students seem to be more affected by the way the classes are taught, and the social relationships with their fellow students. No significant difference was found between hostellers and dayscholars.

This study shows that a more interactive atmosphere during classes would benefit both the medical and nursing students and would help in reducing the communication gap between the student and the teacher. The DREEM inventory is a useful tool for educational programme managers to maintain a high-quality learning environment from the students’ point of view.