International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship via MedWorm.com

Implementing Team Based Learning in Large Classes: Nurse Educators’ Experiences

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:09:41 +0100

Team-based learning (TBL) is an interactive teaching method promoted as an alternative to traditional lectures. TBL was implemented in four large second year classes in a baccalaureate nursing program but the implementation process was found to require much more effort than indicated in the literature. A predominant theme during the implementation phase was the importance of collegial support. Faculty workload increased significantly and they were challenged by occasional student confrontations and technological difficulties. The benefits for students included reduced attrition, reading workloads, and enhanced preparedness for classes, which allowed for more time to be spent in class discussing complex realistic nursing problems. Although TBL was not enthusiastically embraced by all of the...

Bring the Popcorn: Using Film to Teach Sexual and Reproductive Health

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:19:43 +0100

This article provides a framework for incorporating film as a teaching strategy into both case-based and problem-based teaching pedagogies. Reviews and discussion questions of films are provided. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Recruitment and Retention of Scholarship Recipient Nursing Students and Staff

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:57:49 +0100

Few problems are more relevant in health care today than nurse recruitment and retention. The purpose of this study was to identify job satisfaction factors for nurse and nursing student education scholarship recipients, as well as examine the relationship of these factors to the intent to complete contractual agreements. Findings revealed that job satisfaction and a positive image of nursing were influential factors in intent to complete contractual agreements. Results may prove valuable information to recruit nursing students and increase job satisfaction. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Educating Advanced Practice Nurses in Using Social Media in Rural Health Care

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:20:11 +0100

Health care in the United States is facing a crisis in providing access to quality care for those in underserved and rural regions. Advanced practice nurses are at the forefront of addressing such issues, through modalities such as health care technology. Many nursing education programs are seeking strategies for better educating students on technology utilization. Health care technology includes electronic health records, telemedicine, and clinical decision support systems. However, little focus has been placed on the role of social media in health care. This paper describes an educational workshop using standardized patients and hands-on experiences to introduce advanced practice nurses in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program to the role of social media in addressing issues inherent in t...

Assessment of Electronic Health Record Usability with Undergraduate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:03:17 +0100

Health information technology (HIT), and specifically electronic health records (EHR), are recognized as fundamental tools for collecting, storing, retrieving, and monitoring patient care and information. However, few schools of nursing have incorporated theoretical or practical aspects of HIT competencies within the educational curriculum. The purpose of this study was to conduct a usability assessment to explore undergraduate nursing student electronic health record documentation knowledge and skill, using a patient case scenario to inform the development of an informatics-based undergraduate nursing curriculum. Three themes were identified: “Being a Novice User/Practitioner,” “Confidentiality and Security,” and “Repetition and Practice.” Integration of the EHR into nursing c...

Developing Guidelines for Quality Community Health Nursing Clinical Placements for Baccalaureate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:51:53 +0100

Rapidly increasing enrollment in Canadian schools of nursing has triggered the development of innovative clinical placement sites. There are both opportunities and challenges inherent in the delivery of clinical nursing education in diverse community settings. As part of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing’s (CASN) ongoing work to assist its members and ensure baccalaureate graduates are prepared to meet the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice at an entry-to-practice level, the CASN Sub-Committee on Public Health (funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada) conducted extensive national consultations with representatives from both academic and practice settings, as well as key national organizations. The resultant Guidelines for Quality Community Health Nu...

Case Study Method and Problem-Based Learning: Utilizing the Pedagogical Model of Progressive Complexity in Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:36:02 +0100

As the complexity of health care delivery continues to increase, educators are challenged to determine educational best practices to prepare BSN students for the ambiguous clinical practice setting. Integrative, active, and student-centered curricular methods are encouraged to foster student ability to use clinical judgment for problem solving and informed clinical decision making. The proposed pedagogical model of progressive complexity in nursing education suggests gradually introducing students to complex and multi-contextual clinical scenarios through the utilization of case studies and problem-based learning activities, with the intention to transition nursing students into autonomous learners and well-prepared practitioners at the culmination of a nursing program. Exemplar curricular...

Developing Palliative Care Competencies for the Education of Entry Level Baccalaureate Prepared Canadian Nurses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:49:17 +0100

Educational preparation of health professionals for Palliative and End of Life Care (PEOLC) is inadequate, and nurses are no exception. In 2004, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing struck a Task Force to develop PEOLC competencies to address this issue. The development of national PEOLC nursing competencies involved a multi-step, emergent, interactive, and iterative process. An overarching principle guiding this process was building national consensus about the essential PEOLC specific competencies for nurses among experts in this field while simultaneously generating, revising, and refining them. There have been three stages in this iterative, multi-step process: 1) Generating a preliminary set of competencies, 2) Building a national consensus among educators and experts in th...

Making the Move to Blended Learning: Reflections on a Faculty Development Program

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:47:50 +0100

Lessons learned from a faculty development program that preceded the move of a traditional PhD program in nursing to a blended learning model using online and face-to-face strategies are discussed. The majority of lessons and strategies presented are universal to any faculty development program. The lessons are organized into seven topics: Situational Leadership, Adult Learners, Just in Time Teaching, Thinking About Learning and Teaching, Lifelong Learning, Transparency and Collaboration, and Community. Our far-reaching lessons are related to the contextual nature of leadership, how to effectively design and time learning experiences for adults, the importance of open and supportive communities working for a common purpose, and how each person’s perspective shapes his or her learning exp...

The Zambian HIV Nurse Practitioner Diploma Program: Preliminary Outcomes from First Cohort of Zambian Nurses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:00:13 +0100

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a program to prepare HIV Nurse Practitioners in Zambia. Thirty nurses from all nine Zambian provinces participated in this program. Data on a variety of indicators were collected at baseline and throughout the one-year program including student and supervisor assessments, student performance on pre- and post-tests, clinical and case study assessments, documentation of care in patients’ health records, and their performance on final oral and written examinations. Findings indicated that the students were able to achieve the identified competencies and that their supervisors perceived that they would be able to implement their expanded skills to improve care for patients with HIV and AIDS in Zambia. Lessons learned from this initi...

Value-Added of HESI Exam as a Predictor of Timely First-Time RN Licensure

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:08:38 +0100

The purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which HESI tests scores improve the prediction of timely first-time nursing licensure beyond prediction based only on academic performance in the nursing curriculum. Licensure in less than 140 days post-graduation was the dependent variable used as the operational definition for first-time NCLEX-RN success. Logistic regression was used to estimate the value-added of the HESI as a predictor after controlling for measures of academic performance in the nursing curriculum (GPA in nursing courses and the presence of D or F grades in nursing-relevant courses). HESI exit exam scores substantially improved the prediction of timely licensure. Nurse educators who seek cost-effective interventions for remediation benefit from using both HES...

It Takes a Community to Raise a Nurse: Educating for Culturally Safe Practice with Aboriginal Peoples

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:22:18 +0100

Described, is a strategy session to identify how to integrate the Framework for Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety in Nursing Education (Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, Canadian Nurses Association) into a baccalaureate nursing program. Emphasis is placed on engaging a wider community building on faculty and institutional strengths and resources to gather a network of Elders, nurses, students, and faculty. Outlined, is the process to identify potential learning experiences, key resources for implementing the Framework, and developing an advocacy statement to influence School of Nursing (SON) and university level policy regarding commitment to the Framework, its values and principles. Written as a narrative, the information can be sha...

Code Simulations and Death: Processing of Emotional Distress

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:24:31 +0100

It is important for nursing students to be exposed to critical patient care scenarios because high stress clinical situations, such as patient codes, occur unexpectedly and infrequently in the clinical setting. In addition, it is important for nursing students to be exposed to the reality of patient death in order to help them overcome fears associated with death and to develop effective coping strategies. Students may or may not have an opportunity to deal with patient codes or patient death in the clinical setting, therefore simulation labs provide students with the opportunity to practice important clinical skills and discuss emotions in a safe environment. Although there is some research on the benefits of incorporating end-of-life patient care scenarios in simulation labs, there is no...

Community Health Nursing Practice Education: Preparing the Next Generation

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:58:47 +0100

Undergraduate nursing practice rotations today are quite different from what many practicing nurses experienced during their own education. This is especially true of community health practice rotations. Increasingly, non-traditional community health sites are being used as practice sites—sites such as schools, homeless shelters, non-profit agencies, and even churches. Increasingly, non-traditional practice experiences are eclipsing traditional practice experiences involving home care and public health. Why has this shift occurred, and what do these experiences offer students? Do these experiences actually prepare nursing students for clinical practice once they graduate? What does preparing the next generation of community health nurses entail? (Source: International Journal of Nursing ...

Nursing Theory in Curricula Today: Challenges for Faculty at all Levels of Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:47:03 +0100

This article addresses the influences that may threaten this relationship at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels of nursing education. Strategies are offered to ensure nurse educators continue to offer appropriate nursing theory content to advance both nursing science and practice. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Self-Efficacy Related to Student Nurses in the Clinical Setting: A Concept Analysis

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:07:20 +0100

Self-efficacy is conceptually analyzed using the framework developed by Walker and Avant (2005). Defining attributes, antecedents and consequences of self-efficacy are identified and applied in model, borderline and related and contrary cases. Although self-efficacy has been incorporated into the work of many professions, minimal research has been conducted using this concept in clinical nursing education. By gaining a more thorough understanding of self-efficacy in relation to student learning, nurse educators and researchers can use self-efficacy in curricular planning to improve clinical nursing education. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Preceptored Students in Rural Settings Want Feedback

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:44:52 +0100

The purpose of this article is to report the perceptions of students regarding evaluation when placed in a rural setting for their final preceptorship course. The research question was: “What are students’ perceptions of preceptor evaluation?” Thus, a grounded theory method was employed. Twenty-three nursing students placed in rural settings for their precepted practicum experiences were interviewed regarding the evaluation process during their preceptorship experience. The core variable was that feedback is critical for students, much more so than the formal evaluation; and, that students viewed informal evaluation as meaningful and formal evaluation as superficial. The implications are that strategies are required to make students truly authentic partners in evaluation and to make ...

Relating the Nursing Paradigm to Practice: A Teaching Strategy

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:12:09 +0100

Nursing science is a topic students and faculty view with skepticism. The interchangeable terms and the need to understand the contextual nature of nursing philosophy lead to feelings of anxiety and confusion. Students question the relevance of learning nursing science in relation to practice. The analogy of a building is used to explain how nursing philosophy relates to practice. The foundation of the building forms the paradigm of the nursing domain, the outside walls represent conceptual models, the interior walls symbolize theories and the detailed décor characterizes nursing observations and practice, connecting abstract theory to concrete nursing knowledge. The analogy of interrelated concepts may help students gain an understanding of nursing science, which is essential to further ...

Challenges and Benefits of Using a Virtual Community to Explore Nursing Concepts Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:54:14 +0100

This study highlights the need to provide initial and ongoing training and support to faculty at schools who adopt this intervention. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Creating Community: Strengthening Education and Practice Partnerships through Communities of Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 03:48:49 +0100

Nursing students frequently experience disconnectedness, marginalization and antagonism during their clinical experiences. These experiences limit their ability to fully engage in the social learning that is important to the development of professional skill and identity. Current North American education models emphasize the separation between practice and education, with negative consequences for students and their learning. Re-envisioning the relationship between education and practice using Wenger’s Communities of Practice model promotes the development of mutually beneficial, capacity-building relationships where learning and growth are goals for students and staff alike. Re-creating units as learning organizations committed to learning, reflection, dialogue and quality improvement r...

Bringing Community Health Nursing Education to Life with Serious Games

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:41:16 +0100

The ever changing needs of society have created a much needed shift in health care delivery from that of hospital to community. However, the role and process of community health nursing is foreign to most nursing students as the majority of nursing curricula continue to relate experiences and examples of nursing to the more familiar role of “nurse clinician.” In contrast to undergraduate nursing programs where the use of simulation and technology has been widely adopted to emphasize the role of the nurse clinician, the use of such technology hasn’t been widely used to address the learning needs of community health nursing students. Here, we present a descriptive paper on the development of an interactive, virtual learning environment (serious game) for acquisition of community healt...

Student Nurse Perceptions of Effective Medication Administration Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 17:42:32 +0100

Nursing faculty strive to educate students in a manner that prevents errors, promoting quality, patient-centered care. This endeavor is dependent upon meaningful and effective education that incorporates educational experiences reflective of the service sector. Anecdotal reports from clinical faculty and student nurses suggest that academic medication administration education may not optimally prepare students for safe entry into clinical practice. The aim of this phenomenologic qualitative research is to understand student nurse perceptions regarding teaching strategies and learning activities that prepared them for safe medication administration in acute care clinical settings. Focus group interviews resulted in two broad themes that are identified as Effective Education and Gaps in Educ...

Becoming Real: Using the Artistic Pedagogical Technology of Photovoice as a Medium to Becoming Real to One Another in the Online Educative Environment

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 17:42:26 +0100

Over the past decade, online education has become common place. Critics of online education point to the possible loss of social interaction and interpersonal connections in this educational medium. Broadly, our research focus is how human to human interactions can be sustained and even enhanced in online classrooms. Specifically, this paper focuses on how one Artistic Pedagogical Technology called Photovoice (Perry & Edwards, 2010) may support these valued social interactions. Using a purposive sample of 46 graduate students in a large online university, online interactions resulting from the teaching strategy of Photovoice were analyzed for presence of authentic voice and authentic interaction. Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) authenticity criteria were adapted to evaluate Photovoice as an au...

Using Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) as a Pedagogical Structure for Course Redesign and Content

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:13:46 +0100

The safety and quality issues identified in the United States healthcare system have resulted in a call to transform healthcare education, preparing graduates to work in teams and within systems that promote patient safety. Responding from funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a National Nursing Advisory Board and the American Association of Colleges of Nurses created six Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies for nursing: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence based practice, safety, quality improvement, and informatics. These competencies provided a systematic pedagogical structure for course redesign and content to prepare nurses to value quality and safety in caring for patients. The course redesign incorporated a wide variety of activ...

Evaluating the Impact of a North American Nursing Exchange Program on Student Cultural Awareness

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:22:14 +0100

As the demand for cultural awareness in the provision of nursing care continues to increase, nursing programs must develop creative and effective teaching strategies and curricula to address this need. The evaluation of a five year, funded, North American nursing exchange project developed and implemented by six partner universities in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America is described in this article. The project was designed to enable nursing students to increase cultural awareness, redefine their role relationships with nurses from the partner countries, and increase knowledge regarding the health care systems and role of the nurse in those countries. Findings provide evidence that teaching nursing through a prism of cultural awareness, using both a jointly taught online cours...

Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention in Nursing Education: A Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:22:08 +0100

Increasing diversity in the nursing workforce is a means to promote quality health care for multicultural populations. Though Aboriginal people comprise 4% of the Canadian population, Aboriginal nurses represent less than 1% of the nursing workforce. Despite isolated efforts in nursing education, Aboriginal students are neither recruited nor retained in nursing programs at a rate significant enough to close this gap. A literature review was conducted to identify the current state of knowledge on recruitment and retention of Aboriginal people in nursing education programs. Thirty six articles met inclusion criteria, and major themes were identified and organized according to characteristics of students and academic environments. Characteristics of academic environments were further segmente...

Teaching Statistics to Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Integrative Review to Inform our Pedagogy

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:51:00 +0100

One goal of undergraduate nursing education is to develop competency in statistics interpretation. This competency requires adequate knowledge and skill to read and analyze the merits of research studies, quality assurance data, and patient data. The literature suggests that RNs may lack undergraduate, entry-to-practice competencies regarding statistical analysis. This review explores and critically appraises the international nursing literature concerning the pedagogy of teaching undergraduate statistics to nursing students. The following dominant three themes: (1) student and faculty characteristics, (2) conceptual framework and (3) the course characteristics of content and delivery guided our review. It was found that there is limited to no evidence concerning the pedagogy of statistics...

Stressors, Academic Performance, and Learned Resourcefulness in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:57:23 +0100

High stress levels in nursing students may affect memory, concentration, and problem-solving ability, and may lead to decreased learning, coping, academic performance, and retention. College students with higher levels of learned resourcefulness develop greater self-confidence, motivation, and academic persistence, and are less likely to become anxious, depressed, and frustrated, but no studies specifically involve nursing students. This explanatory correlational study used Gadzellaâs Student-life Stress Inventory (SSI) and Rosenbaumâs Self Control Scale (SCS) to explore learned resourcefulness, stressors, and academic performance in 53 baccalaureate nursing students. High levels of personal and academic stressors were evident, but not significant predictors of academic performan...

Leveraging Differences for Collaborative Advantage: Enhancing Student Learning through an International Educational Collaboration

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:38:20 +0100

This case study in collaboration development describes the relationship from initiation through maintenance over three years between a high profile research-focused school of nursing in the U.S. and a school in the UK known for learning and teaching innovation. The ultimate goal of the collaboration is to enhance nursing student learning opportunities to best prepare students to function in the complex and ever-changing world of nursing practice. This goal has been, and continues to be, achieved through implementation of innovative teaching and learning strategies including the use of high fidelity simulation. The authors describe the intellectual collaborative advantage that the relationship between the schools has made possible as well as key principles to be considered when any organiza...

Becoming a Global Citizen through Nursing Education: Lessons Learned in Developing Evaluation Tools

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 04:02:38 +0100

While global health practica are being increasingly described in nursing education literature, course evaluation of same receives comparatively less attention. In this article, authors report on an evaluation project, undertaken to rigorously examine the existing evaluation methods for an elective global health practicum with placements in India and northern Canada. Sixteen students were interviewed and course evaluation tools were reviewed. Resulting themes include studentsâ sense of preparedness, the centrality of the student-preceptor relationship, the importance of supported self-reflection, and the usefulness of evaluation methods. Participants viewed existing course evaluation methods as generally useful, therefore requiring only minor adjustments. There were also structural rev...

Use of iPodTM Technology in Medical-Surgical Nursing Courses: Effect on Grades

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:43:30 +0100

Advances in computer technology, such as the portable and affordable iPodTM, allow students to view lectures anywhere at any time. iPodsTM are of special interest for nurse educators who strive to meet demands posed by a critical nursing shortage. A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted to assess whether iPodTM could be an effective teaching tool for medical-surgical nursing lectures. In a randomized study with 35 participants, together with eight students having their own iPodsTM, grades of students given pre-recorded class lectures on iPodsTM were compared with grades of those who attended lectures without iPodsTM. Learning styles, amount and use of students devoted to iPodTM lectures were considered as well as grades. Most results were not significant, but there was some evidence that...

Nurse Educator Pathway Project: A Competency-Based Intersectoral Curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:21:18 +0100

In this paper, we begin by providing an overview of the Educator Pathway Project (EPP), an education infrastructure that was developed in response to emerging critical nursing workplace issues, and the related demand for enhanced workplace education. We then describe the EPP competency-based curriculum designed to prepare nurses as preceptors, mentors, and educators to lead learning with diverse learner groups. This competency-based curriculum was developed through a collaboration of nurse leaders across practice, academic, and union sectors and drew from a widely embraced curriculum development model (Iwasiw, Goldenberg, & Andrusyzyn, 2005). The goal of the curriculum was to prepare nurses through a four-level career pathway model that contextualized practice and education theory to vario...

Service Learning with Vulnerable Populations: Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:44:54 +0100

The service learning model has been touted as a powerful pedagogical approach, a reasonable option for providing care to vulnerable and diverse populations, and a vehicle for educating nursing students to become agents of social change. The literature on service learning with vulnerable populations in nursing education is reviewed and synthesized in this article. A description of service learning experiences, identification of knowledge and skills learned, opportunities for critical thinking and reflection, and a discussion of factors that act as enablers and barriers to service learning are explored. Recommendations for successful integration of service learning into educational settings are provided for nurse educators, academic institutions and community partners. As the service learnin...

An Exploratory Study of Spiritual Dimensions Among Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:02:58 +0100

This exploratory descriptive study of spiritual experiences, well-being, and practices was conducted among 126 nursing students. Participants reported a higher level of spiritual well-being and life scheme than self-efficacy for well-being and life-scheme. Thus, students appeared to view the world and their role in it slightly more positively than their ability to affect their lives and make decisions. The students reported the most frequent spiritual experiences as being thankful for blessings; the next most frequent spiritual experiences having a desire to be close to God, feeling a selfless caring for others, and finding comfort in oneâs religion and spirituality. Students used both conventional and unconventional spiritual practices. Further study is necessary to study the relatio...

Perceptions of a Peer Learning Approach to Pediatric Clinical Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:02:50 +0100

In this study the perceptions of students and clinical instructors in their use of peer learning are described. A qualitative descriptive design with semi-structured interviews was used. A convenience sample included nursing students (n=10) and clinical instructors (n=2). Participants had overall positive experiences with formalized peer learning. The novelty of a learning approach, support, communication and the facilitation of learning were the common emerging main themes; with several subthemes also identified. The results highlighted how the learning process was influenced by the studentsâ status as novice nurses and how peer learning provided much needed emotional and physical support. Implications for clinical education are discussed. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Ed...

Preceptor Preparation: An Investment in the Future Generation of Nurses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:07:51 +0100

Nurse preceptors fulfill a primary role in the success of preceptorship experiences during the education of student nurses in their final year of study. Evidence suggests that this success depends greatly on adequate preceptor role preparation and support. The purposes of this qualitative, descriptive study were to explore and describe preceptor role support and development within the context of a rural and northern mid-sized Canadian community. More specifically, in this study the following are described: preceptorsâ (a) perception of past role preparation and current role support; (b) use and evaluation of the existing print-based fourth-year Preceptor Resource Manual (PRM); (c) perception of role support facilitators and barriers; and (d) recommendations for improvements to precept...

Building Collaborative Scholarship in an Academic Nursing Community

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:07:45 +0100

In this article, authors report one College of Nursingâs efforts to address the challenges of multiple academic role expectations by establishing faculty interest groups to promote collaborative scholarship. The background of the project is described in terms of past and recent academic, financial, and environmental influences. Collaborative scholarship is defined. Literature related to faculty productivity, variations in collaborative scholarship within and across disciplines, and incentives to motivate and reward faculty productivity are discussed. An evaluation of one faculty interest groupâs process is reported. Amey and Brownâs Interdisciplinary Collaboration Model dimensions were used to analyze achievements and challenges. Organizational restructuring and disbandment ...

Views on Unsafe Nursing Students in Clinical Learning

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:04:11 +0100

Clinical education is a cornerstone of undergraduate nursing education programs. Although protecting patient safety in clinical learning experiences is a standard of practice, no standard definition of the âunsafeâ student exists. The purpose of this study was to describe the viewpoints of undergraduate student nurses and their clinical educators about unsafe clinical student practices. Using Q methodology, 57 students and 14 clinical educators sorted 39 unsafe student practice statements. These statements were generated from an integrated review of nursing and related literature and two undergraduate student focus groups. The use of centroid factor analysis with varimax rotation produced three dimensions of unsafe student practices. An unsafe student was characterized by his/her...

Comparing Student Role Perceptions: Traditional to Community-Based Curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:45:01 +0100

This phenomenological study explored role perceptions of senior baccalaureate nursing students in a traditional curriculum (TC) and a community-based curriculum (CBC) following one U.S. schoolâs curriculum revision. Researchers inquired into that moment when students intervened like a nurse. Results were analyzed by groups and then compared. The assumptions and style of the Dutch school of phenomenology guided the collection and analysis of data. Among identified themes were traditional nursing role functions. Students from the CBC perceived a comparatively broader scope for nursing practice, broader definition of client, and a more nuanced description of the nurseâs role. Seniors from the TC described a developmental trajectory which culminated in being able to intervene like a ...

A Journey of Critical Consciousness: An Educational Strategy for Health Care Leaders

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:43:22 +0100

We describe this journey that takes students through phases of awareness, reflection, and action in which they come to understand the concepts of critical theory and discourse analysis and begin to use these to create changes in their work settings in the direction of equity and social justice. We suggest broader implications for programs and invite readers to begin their own journeys of critical consciousness. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Building Scholarship Capacity and Transforming Nurse Educatorsâ Practice through Institutional Ethnography

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:20:31 +0100

Institutional ethnography can be viewed as a method of inquiry for nurse educators to build scholarship capacity and advance the quality of nursing practice. Within a framework of the Boyer (1990) model and the domains of academic scholarship in nursing described by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (2006), we discuss how a team of nurse educators participated as co-researchers in an institutional ethnographic study to examine the routine work of evaluating nursing students and discovered a contradiction between what was actually happening and what we value as nurse educators. The discovery, teaching, application, and integration dimensions of scholarship are examined for links to our emerging insights from the research and ramifications for our teaching practices. The article...

The Use of Audience Response Systems in Nursing Education: Best Practice Guidelines

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:23:56 +0100

The use of Audience Response Systems (ARS) or 'clickers' as an active learning strategy in nursing education has been steadily on the rise. ARS technology allows the dynamic engagement of students in the classroom by providing immediate two-way communication between faculty and students. ARS can be used to explore knowledge and common misconceptions, act as a springboard for classroom discussions, and can be used for testing or evaluation. The aim of this paper is to present best practice guidelines for both novice and experienced ARS technology users. A summary of the state of the research in this area will be presented. Practical application techniques and pedagological strategies relating to ARS use are discussed, including question construction. ARS technology can enliven teaching prac...

Beyond Google: Finding and Evaluating Web-Based Information for Community-Based Nursing Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:51:09 +0100

Nurses are challenged to find and use reliable, credible information to support clinical decision-making and to meet expectations for evidence-based nursing practice. This project targeted practicing public health and school nurses, teaching them how to access and critically evaluate web-based information resources for frontline practice. Health sciences librarians partnered with nursing faculty to develop two participatory workshops to teach skills in searching for and evaluating web-based consumer and professional practice resources. The first workshop reviewed reliable, credible consumer web-resources appropriate to use with clients, using published criteria to evaluate website credibility. In the second workshop, nurses were taught how to retrieve and evaluate health-related research f...

Pedagogy as Influencing Nursing Students' Essentialized Understanding of Culture

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:10:19 +0100

In this qualitative study, we explored how students understood âculture." Participants defined culture and wrote narratives regarding specific cultural encounters. The sample comprised both nursing (n=14) and non-nursing (n=8) students to allow for comparison groups. Content analysis of the narratives revealed two broad paradigms of cultural understanding: essentialist and constructivist. Essentialist narratives comprised four themes: determinism (culture defied individual resistance); relativism (the possibility of making value judgments disappeared); Othering (culture was equated to exotica, and emphasized difference); and, reductionism (personhood was eclipsed by culture). In contrast, the constructivist narratives were characterized by influence (non-determinism), dynamism (cultur...

Strategies to Attract Prospective Students to the Nursing Profession

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:58:59 +0100

The objective of this study was to understand how prospective candidates could be influenced to enter the profession, by determining what motivated current South African nurses to choose nursing as a profession. Support on entering the profession and employment security were rated as most important, while the influence of others and extrinsic rewards associated with nursing were perceived to be less important. Although private sector nurses and nurses who intended to change their employment sector were significantly more likely to rate employment security and extrinsic rewards highly, and public sector nurses and nurses from the more rural areas thought that the immediacy of support on entering the profession and intrinsic factors where more important, a homogenous approach to recruitment ...

Strengthening Communication Education in an Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:22:47 +0100

As effective communication is an essential professional competency that is conceptualized and developed during undergraduate education, the purpose of this study was to investigate and reinforce the role of communication in the nursing undergraduate curriculum. Analysis of faculty and student focus group discussions revealed the benefit of purposefully structuring and explicitly articulating communication education throughout the undergraduate curriculum for increased accessibility and visibility of communication education, expanded ranges of available teaching and learning methods and resources, and strengthened ability to address undermining mixed communication messages. These findings have implications for how to specifically include communication education in a learning-centered underg...

Cognitions and Clinical Performance: A Comparison of High and Low Performing Baccalaureate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:03:14 +0100

Studies to date have employed a variety of methods to elucidate the cognitive processes that underlie nursing actions in clinical situations. Most studies relied on clinical case scenarios rather than actual patient care situations, and did not supplement cognitive measures with quantitative measures of performance or physiologic outcomes of care. The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to describe and compare the verbal report data of baccalaureate nursing students who were assigned to high and low performing groups based on their ability to alter the physiological trajectory of the patient in a simulated task environment. Low performing participants observed many irrelevant cues and failed to perform vital actions in lieu of extraneous actions that were not directly relate...

Advantages and Barriers to Use of HeartCodeâ¢ BLS with Voice Advisory Manikins for Teaching Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:56:25 +0100

Nursing students are expected to have competency in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): they may care for patients at risk for cardiac arrest and may encounter other emergency situations in their clinical practice. In the United States, students may take a basic life support (BLS) course prior to entering a nursing program or beginning their clinical experience. Extensive research has shown, however, that CPR knowledge and skills decline rapidly, within weeks of completing a course. The purpose of this paper is to describe advantages and barriers to the use of HeartCodeâ¢ BLS with voice advisory manikins for learning and practicing CPR psychomotor skills in a nursing education program. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Being Cabezona: Success Strategies of Hispanic Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:26:02 +0100

Hispanic registered nurses (RNs) are poorly represented in professional nursing, comprising only 1.7% of RNs despite representing 15% of the population of the United States. Furthermore, their numbers are actually decreasing in nursing at the same time the Hispanic population is experiencing serious health disparities. This descriptive, interpretive study explores strategies used by Hispanic nursing students to overcome obstacles from the perspectives of 13 currently enrolled students and recent graduates through focus groups and individual interviews. Successful students were highly motivated to succeed, while at the same time able to maintain strong cultural ties and family responsibilities, and used a strategy they called being cabezona (stubborn) in the face of numerous obstacles, incl...

Reforming Perspectives: MSN Graduatesâ Knowledge, Attitudes and Awareness of Self-Transformation

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:13:02 +0100

Socialization includes internalization of attitudes and values critical to the development of a professional identity. Resocialization relates to the returning registered nurse student's development of professional values and roles. Nurse educatorsâ challenge is to consider socialization/resocialization as a formation/re-formation process. The purpose of this article is to report findings from a replication qualitative descriptive study that examined the process of change in knowledge and attitudes of recent MSN graduates using Mezirowâs (1994)Transformative Learning Theory. Findings substantiated the changes in attitudes, knowledge and skills of MSN graduates identified by Cragg and Andrusyszyn (2005). Results further inform nurse educators of the process of transformation in MS...

The Intention to Pursue Graduate Studies in Nursing: A Look at BScN Studentsâ Self-Efficacy and Value Influences

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:57:32 +0100

The shortage of graduate-level prepared nurses is reaching critical levels. Combined with an anticipated wave of faculty retirements, a relatively older graduate student body, and an insufficient number of graduates at the Mastersâ and doctoral levels, the recruitment of more and younger students into graduate programs in nursing has become a priority for the profession. Current understanding of why undergraduate nursing students choose to pursue graduate studies in nursing remains vague. A non-experimental descriptive correlational study was designed and 87 useable surveys were collected from fourth-year baccalaureate nursing students at a large South-Western Ontario University (response rate = 67%). The influence of student valuation of graduate studies and self-efficacy (SE) for gr...

Creating a Path: American Indian/Alaska Native High School Students Pursuing College and a Career in Nursing

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:20:31 +0100

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive pre- and post-survey study was to analyze four years of data documenting differences in pre- and post-test responses by American Indian/Alaska Native high school students attending a weeklong residency program. The program was designed to provide information and role models to motivate students to go to college and pursue a career in nursing. The survey measured student perceptions of college and nursing. In addition, the analysis included comparisons of responses between students who lived on reservations and those who did not. Results demonstrated that students changed their views of nursing as a profession, how they would be perceived by their tribe, and the financial security they could gain. Students living on their reservations were concer...

The One-to-One Relationship: Is it Really Key to an Effective Preceptorship Experience? A Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:16:13 +0100

Currently, considerable focus is directed at improving clinical experiences for nursing students, with emphasis placed on adequate support and supervision for the purpose of creating competent and safe beginning practitioners. Preceptors play a vital role in supporting, teaching, supervising and assessing students in clinical settings as they transition to the graduate nurse role. Intrinsic to this model is the assumption that the one-to-one relationship provides the most effective mechanism for learning. With the current Registered Nurses (RN) shortage, among other factors, the one-to-one relationship may not be feasible or as advantageous to the student. Thus, nurse educators need to carefully assess how this relationship is configured and maintained to assist them in fostering its evolu...

A Qualitative Study of Role Transition from RN to APN

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:44:35 +0100

This study has implications for nurse educators interested in promoting advanced practice nurse role transition early in the educational process. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Outcomes of Teaching Baccalaureate Nursing Students About Mastitis Utilizing a Multimodal Teaching Tool

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:26:02 +0100

Annually, 10-33% of U.S. lactating women develop mastitis. Often underreported, mastitis has acute and chronic sequelae with rare documented cases of invasive breast surgery due to pervasive infection. Evidenced-based prevention, early recognition, and treatment of mastitis are not emphasized in the undergraduate nursing profession textbooks or academic settings. Using current evidence-based research on postpartum mastitis, and concepts of maximizing cognition, this pre and post test study examines the knowledge acquired and retained utilizing traditional teaching methods compared to a multimodal teaching video on mastitis with a baccalaureate nursing student population. A significant difference in knowledge acquisition was noted between pre and post tests results. Furthermore, using Benne...

High-Fidelity Nursing Simulation: Impact on Student Self-Confidence and Clinical Competence

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:58:24 +0100

Development of safe nursing practice in entry-level nursing students requires special consideration from nurse educators. The paucity of data supporting high-fidelity patient simulation effectiveness in this population informed the development of a quasi-experimental, quantitative study of the relationship between simulation and student self-confidence and clinical competence. Moreover, the study reports a novel approach to measuring self-confidence and competence of entry-level nursing students. Fifty-three baccalaureate students, enrolled in either a traditional or simulation-enhanced laboratory, participated during their first clinical rotation. Student self-confidence and faculty perception of student clinical competence were measured using selected scale items of the Lasater Clinical ...

Public Health Intervention Model: Impact on Australian Community and Mental Health Nursing Students' Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:25:08 +0100

Recent Australian health care reform in all jurisdictions of government, have attempted to address the need to curtail the burden of chronic disease by adopting and or referring to a primary health care (PHC) approach. In this way, community health nurses are challenged to demonstrate their understanding and capacity to practice according to primary health care principles. Evaluated in this paper is the impact a community health nursing curriculum adaptation of the Public Health Intervention Model (PHIM) has had on students' understanding and application of PHC to community nursing practice. A thematic analysis was utilized to review student assessment tasks. Generated themes support the PHIM adaptation, as a means to facilitate students' cognitive learning of community nursing practice in...

Computer-Based Learning Objects in Healthcare: The Student Experience

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:27:02 +0100

Web-based computer learning objects, such as Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs), are becoming more commonplace in nursing and medical education. However, evaluation of RLOs specifically has been limited. The aim of the study was to determine how RLOs impact on the student learning experience and to compare the use and evaluation of RLOs by nursing and medical students. An online questionnaire survey was completed by 233 students (163 nursing and 73 medical). RLOs were more commonly used by nursing students than medical students. Students in both disciplines valued RLOs for flexibility of learning, as revision aids, and to supplement classroom-based learning. Nursing and medical students have different learning needs, and developing materials at the right level of learning is important. Barri...

Needing to be Normal: The Lived Experience of Chronically Ill Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:53:12 +0100

This study supported previous findings about the disruption of illness and the methods used by the chronically ill to cope with disease-related symptoms. It also showed that chronic illness creates an inner strength and an intuitive knowledge about the body that provides meaning and direction in the lives of the chronically ill and yields a deeper understanding about the needs of others. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Active and Emotional Student Engagement: A Nationwide, Prospective, Longitudinal Study of Swedish Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:53:08 +0100

We examined the association of these properties with seven independent variables: higher educational institution, class size, age, gender, prior assistant nurse education, study experience and self-rated health. This longitudinal study included 1,334 students from 24 universities and university colleges in Sweden. Active engagement increased and emotional engagement decreased during the study years. Male students, older students and those with prior assistant nurse education had higher active engagement than other students. Older students, females, students with good self-rated health and those attending universities had higher emotional engagement. Study results suggest that higher educational institutions should pay more attention to students' active and emotional engagement in learning ...

For Faculty, by Faculty: A Case Study of Learning to Teach Online

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:08:47 +0100

The shortage of nursing faculty and the need for MSN-prepared faculty to have access to doctoral education and remain in their teaching roles has resulted in a growing number of nurse education programs moving online. A better understanding of how best to support faculty during this transition is needed. This case study describes the experiences of faculty at one institution as they participated in a grassroots effort to learn about online teaching. Six themes related to the faculty development experience were identified: 1) plugging in; 2) peer sharing, modeling and community building; 3) multidimensional learning; 4) role-shifting and meta-learning; 5) paradigm shifting; and 6) sustaining momentum. Findings are connected to recommendations related to how best to prepare faculty to ensure...

Online Learning versus Simulation for Teaching Principles of Mechanical Ventilation to Nurse Practitioner Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:20:19 +0100

Patient simulation is increasingly used in the education of healthcare providers, yet few studies have compared simulation to other teaching modalities. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in knowledge acquisition and student satisfaction between two methods of teaching the principles of mechanical ventilation to advanced practice nursing (APN) students: high-fidelity patient simulation (including face-to-face instruction) versus an online, narrated PowerPoint presentation. Twenty APN students were randomized to either the simulation or online teaching method in this pre/posttest study. Measures included a 12-item knowledge questionnaire and a 5-item satisfaction survey. Both groups had significant improvement in knowledge scores from pretest to posttest, but knowledge s...

Theory-Based Research of High Fidelity Simulation Use in Nursing Education: A Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:06:12 +0100

In this article, we explore the extent to which theory-based research is informing our understanding of high-fidelity simulation use in nursing education. We reviewed the primary literature archived in the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Applied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Proquest Dissertation and Theses for empirical reports using the key terms high-fidelity simulation and nursing from the years 1989 to 2009. Of the articles that matched our inclusion criteria: 45% made no use of theory; 45% made minimal use; and 10% made adequate use. We argue that theory-based research could bring coherence and external validity to this domain. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Integrated Nursing Access Program: An Approach to Prepare Aboriginal Students for Nursing Careers

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:21:45 +0100

The challenge to transfer the health care of Aboriginal peoples of Canada from non-Aboriginal to predominantly Aboriginal health professionals, requires preliminary innovative approaches in post-secondary education. Described in this paper, is the background, development and progress to date of the Integrated Nursing Access Program (INAP) for Aboriginal students, and its phenomenological approach to curriculum design. Traditional indigenous knowledge and methodologies are embedded in process learning and university-level program activities. Learning in this INAP Bachelor of Nursing program occurs over three years, during which time students complete high school requirements together with some first year nursing courses. The program is followed by three additional years of exclusive baccala...

The Development of Nurse Practitioner Preparation beyond the Masterâs Level: What is the Debate About?

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:17:23 +0100

This article will review the history of doctoral education in both countries, compare the practice-focused and research-focused doctorates, discuss the issues of debate, and explore implications for NP practice. To fully inform the decision of the NP, we recommend further research to explore the need for a practice doctorate. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

The Development of Nurse Practitioner Preparation beyond the Master's Level: What is the Debate About?

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:17:23 +0100

Righting Writing: Strategies for Improving Nursing Student Papers

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:57:04 +0100

The ability to clearly express complex ideas in writing is necessary for nurses in professional practice at all levels from novice to expert. The community health nursing course is specially designated as writing intensive to provide students with the experience of preparing a major scholarly paper. To address issues of poor paper quality and grade inflation we implemented a program including a writing workshop for faculty, a revision of the grading rubric, and a system of blind review for grading student papers. Changes resulted in a major shift in paper grades which more closely reflects the actual quality of the work. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Ready for What? An Exploration of the Meaning of New Graduate Nurses' Readiness for Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:04:36 +0100

Dialogue continues on the "readiness" of new graduates for practice despite significant advancements in the foundational educational preparation for nurses. In this paper, the findings from an exploratory study about the meaning of new graduate "readiness" for practice are reported. Data was collected during focus group interviews with one-hundred and fifty nurses and new graduates. Themes were generated using content analysis. Our findings point to agreement about the meaning of new graduate nurses' readiness for practice as having a generalist foundation and some job specific capabilities, providing safe client care, keeping up with the current realities of nursing practice, being well equipped with the tools needed to adapt to the future needs of clients, and possessing a balance of doi...

Learner-Centered Characteristics of Nurse Educators

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:20:20 +0100

The purpose of this study was to describe the learner-centered teaching characteristics of nurse faculty who report using contemporary pedagogy. A secondary analysis of data collected by an international survey of nurse educators regarding pedagogical teaching approaches and strategies was used to answer the research questions. The study sought to: 1) describe characteristics emerging from faculty response, 2) make inferences from faculty responses regarding meaning, and 3) make inferences regarding the importance of the meaning to nursing. A qualitative research design was used to address the research question. Themes that emerged were placed under the concepts of power, role of teacher, responsibility of learner, and philosophy of evaluation guided by Weimer's (2002) conceptual framewo...

Metacognitive Factors that Impact Student Nurse Use of Point of Care Technology in Clinical Settings

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:58:46 +0100

In this study nursing students used PDA software programs which included a drug guide, medical dictionary, laboratory manual and nursing diagnosis manual during acute care clinical experiences. Analysis of student journals comparative reflective statements about the PDA as an adjunct to other available resources in clinical practice are presented. The benefits of having a PDA included readily available data, validation of thinking processes, and facilitation of care plan re-evaluation. Students reported increased frequency of use and independence. Significant correlations between user perceptions and computer self-efficacy suggested greater confidence in abilities with technology resulting in increased self-awareness and achievement of learning outcomes. (Source: International Journal of N...

A Model for Easily Incorporating Team-Based Learning into Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:01:47 +0100

A sense of urgency exists among nurse educators to determine the best possible teaching strategies to create a rich, engaging learning environment for students. With the calls for transformation, innovation, and excellence in nursing education from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the National League for Nursing, educators may determine that current teaching strategies fall short. Team-based learning, an innovative teaching strategy, offers educators a structured, student-centered learning environment and may be effective in teaching necessary skills to students. An overview of how this strategy fosters many of the essential concepts, such as critical thinking, professionalism, communication, and interprofessional teamwor...

Exploring a Pedagogical Approach to Integrating Research, Practice and Teaching

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:16:57 +0100

Application of evidence is accepted as an important component of clinical practice. Teaching research to undergraduate students has been reported internationally as a challenge, particularly for nurse educators. In this paper, reported is a strategy designed to enhance research learning for undergraduate midwifery students at one university, which formed part of a larger, international investigation into women's responses to caesarean birth. Following theory classes and briefings, students worked with their clinical educators in practice to interview women using existing tools, and were engaged in qualitative data analysis. A number of challenges were encountered throughout the process, both for the educators and students. However, the teaching approach provided benefits for students in le...

Choosing a Career in Nursing: Development of a Career Search Instrument

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:56:44 +0100

University students in this millennium will be older, culturally diverse and likely to change their career major several times during the course of their education. Methods to identify and guide appropriate students toward nursing are lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop and initially test a 48-item Likert-scaled instrument, the Career Search Questionnaire (CSQ), which assesses interest in and self-efficacy for nursing. Data were obtained from 300 volunteer students, with implied consent, enrolled in beginning-level courses at a Midwestern university. Response differences were apparent between individuals who reported nursing as a college major compared to those who sought a different major. Participants who reported nursing as their major obtained higher scores in both intere...

Teacher Perspectives and the Psychosocial Climate of the Classroom in a Traditional BSN Program

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:21:51 +0100

Developing and implementing a positive psychosocial environment should be one of the main responsibilities of educators. As educators influence the climate, learning is enhanced or hindered. Therefore educators need to understand their own teaching perspectives and how they in turn influence the classroom. Data were collected from nurse educators and BSN nursing students. The relationship between faculty teaching perspectives and the students' perceptions of the learning environment was examined. The data collection tool used to measure the educators' perspective was the Instructional Perspective Inventory (IPI), and to measure the students' perspective was the Adult Classroom Environment Scale (ACES). A MANCOVA was used to determine the relationship and significant differences between edu...

Effects of Nursing Education on the Image of Nursing as a Profession in Israel

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:23:43 +0100

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of nursing students in Israel regarding nursing as a profession and nurses' public image, and whether there is a difference between the perceptions of first-year and more advanced nursing students. A questionnaire based on the work of Tzeng (2006) was administered to 200 first-year nursing students and 200 more advanced students. Most of the students felt the nursing profession needs to undergo an image change, while first-year students perceived nurses as more angelic and romantic than more advanced students. A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with nurses in the field and the image of nursing. In order to reinforce a positive image of nursing as a career, nurse educators should alter negative stereotypes about the...

Collaborative Essay Testing: Group Work That Counts

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:47:06 +0100

Because much of a nurse's work is accomplished through working in groups, nursing students need an understanding of group process as well as opportunities to problem-solve in groups. Despite an emphasis on group activities as critical for classroom learning, there is a lack of evidence in the nursing literature that describes collaborative essay testing as a teaching strategy. In this class, nursing students worked together in small groups to answer examination questions before submitting a common set of answers. In a follow-up survey, students reported that collaborative testing was a positive experience (e.g., promoting critical thinking, confidence in knowledge, and teamwork). Faculty were excited by the lively dialog heard during the testing in what appeared to be an atmosphere of team...

Employer Perceptions of Knowledge, Competency, and Professionalism of Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates from a Problem-Based Program

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:58:15 +0100

Employer evaluation of graduates is a critical component of professional program evaluation and contributes a viewpoint rarely reported in the literature. It has been proposed that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) enhances knowledge acquisition, clinical competency and professional behavior. Students assume the role of a registered nurse as they work through real practice scenarios on a daily basis in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore employer perceptions of graduates' knowledge, competency and professionalism, following completion of a PBL program. Nurse employers (N=53) participated in 10 focus group discussions. Four main themes were derived from employer descriptions of their experience with PBL graduates: still rough around the edges, we want them to succeed, a new g...

The Competence of Student Nurse Teachers

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:53:04 +0100

The aim of this study was to evaluate how student nurse teachers meet the requirements of nurse teachers as they practice teaching in nurse education. The data was collected by the Evaluation of Requirements of Nurse Teachers (ERNT), as self-evaluations and peer evaluations answered by 40 student teachers over three years. The response rate was 82%. The total number of completed questionnaires received was 143. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The student teachers gained a high level of competence as teachers. The highest level of competence was reported in relationships with students, while the lowest level was associated with teaching skills. Of the single requirements, the weakest skills were related to teaching decision-making and encouraging students constantly to se...

Successful Transition of the New Graduate Nurse

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:51:28 +0100

Reports that new nurse graduates are not sufficiently prepared to enter the workforce are of concern to educators, employers, and other stakeholders. Often, this lack of 'practice readiness' is defined in relation to an inability to 'hit the ground running' and is attributed to a 'gap' between theory and practice and the nature of current work environments. To gain a deeper understanding of the process of making the transition from student to graduate nurse, discussion groups were held across Alberta with 14 new graduates and 133 staff nurses, employers, and educators. Five additional new graduates and 34 staff nurses, employers, and educators provided input by fax or e-mail. The findings of this initiative speak to the need to examine assumptions underlying 'practice readiness' and what c...

Seeing With New Eyes: The Meaning of an Immersion Experience in Bangladesh for Undergraduate Senior Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:06:51 +0100

Nurses must provide culturally appropriate care. A powerful strategy to enhance cultural competency is immersion. This can increase awareness of personal beliefs, values, behaviors, and learning from clients. A three week immersion experience for 17 senior undergraduate nursing students was organized in partnership with the Independent University, Bangladesh. Working with interpreters, students learned about people and healthcare through interviews and site visits. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the meaning of the immersion experience for nursing students through their reflective journals. These were thematically analyzed and four themes emerged: Beginning to See, Thinking about the Seen, Wanting to Change the Seen, and Transformed by the Seen. These themes combine i...

Practice and Academic Nurse Educators: Finding Common Ground

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:46:17 +0100

This article describes the preliminary groundwork among intersectoral partners. Practice and academic educators do not always recognize each others' expertise or share resources effectively. An online survey and focus groups were conducted to identify educators' similar successes and challenges, their perspectives of key criteria necessary to establish practice-academic collaborations and learning environments, and intent to leave. The findings revealed many similarities across sectors, although practice and academic educators had different foci or perspectives that will need to be bridged by the collaboration. Strategies are suggested to maximize educators' commonalities, provide better supports to minimize intent to leave, and ensure sustainability. (Source: International Journal of Nurs...

Students' Perception of Faculty Involvement in the Rural Hospital Preceptorship Experience

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:45:47 +0100

Faculty in Canadian undergraduate nursing programs have come to rely on preceptorship as the primary model for teaching and learning during the final clinical course. A focused ethnography was completed in order to examine undergraduate nursing students' experience of rural hospital preceptorship in western Canada. Data analysis revealed that students perceive nursing faculty involvement and support to be peripheral to the clinical experience. Strategies aimed at clarifying the faculty role and nursing programs' involvement are presented as a means to enhance the rural hospital learning experience. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Work-Related Stressors Experienced by Part-Time Clinical Affiliate Nursing Faculty in Baccalaureate Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:57:14 +0100

This descriptive and multivariate correlational study identifies work-related situations that were perceived as stressful in a sample of part-time clinical affiliate nursing faculty (n = 91) from a western state who teach in baccalaureate programs. The most stressful conditions include being physically and emotionally drained; working outside regular hours; dealing with the number of role expectations; and receiving inadequate monetary compensation. Subjects reported other specific stressful situations related to their work with clinical agencies, universities, and students. The researcher also examined the relationships between selected background factors (number of years of clinical teaching experience, clinical teacher education, and holding a second job), role stress, and job satisfac...

Faculty Advising in Nursing Education: Necessary Evil or Opportunity for Excellence?

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:07:44 +0100

Understanding the components of faculty workload is critical to recruitment and retention of nurse educators and to success and sustainability of nursing education programs. The role of faculty advisors has been linked to student retention and success in nursing undergraduate education. Despite the importance of academic advising, there is a paucity of research examining the impact of advising on the workload of nurse educators. When faculty roles, such as academic advising, are ostensibly valued by the institution and result in higher levels of student success, but are unrecognized and unrewarded as part of the workload formula, faculty stress and burnout can result. Recommendations for faculty advising are offered, based on current evidence regarding the importance of faculty advising an...

Innovation in Community Clinical Placements: A Canadian Survey

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:19:02 +0100

Ongoing restructuring within the health care system juxtaposed with mandated increased seats in nursing programs have taxed traditional clinical practice settings beyond their capacity. In the search for suitable clinical placements to meet learning objectives and fulfill required clinical hours, nursing program administrators are turning to various non-traditional settings. Yet limited research exists to describe the prevalence and types of 'innovative' clinical placements (ICPs) or the nature and quality of student learning in such settings. Described in this article are findings from a national survey of Canadian baccalaureate nursing programs completed by nurse educators and clinical placement coordinators regarding nursing student placements within ICPs. Participant survey responses p...

Curriculum Reform in Baccalaureate Nursing Education: Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:10:42 +0100

This article synthesizes the recent literature related to curriculum reform and innovation in nursing education. Four themes were identified in the literature: incorporating safety and quality in nursing education, re-designing conceptual frameworks, strategies to address content laden curricula, and teaching using alternative pedagogies. Synthesis of the recent literature in the field will assist faculty who are beginning the curriculum evaluation and revision process in their own schools. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Structural Empowerment and Professional Nursing Practice Behaviors of Baccalaureate Nursing Students in Clinical Learning Environments

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:17:04 +0100

This study examines the associations between professional behaviors of baccalaureate nursing students and student perceptions of select factors within the clinical learning environment, including the role of clinical faculty leadership. Participants (n=243) were recruited from a randomly selected list of 1000 members of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) among sixteen states within the Southern region of the United States. Results revealed a direct relationship exists between student perceptions of structural empowerment in their clinical learning environment and professional nursing practice behaviors among students. Also found was that relationships between variables in the model are significantly strengthened by student perceptions of strong leadership behaviors of clinical ...

Building Nurses' Capacity in Community Health Services

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:21:13 +0100

This paper describes core processes, components, and insights gained from a research internship offered through the University of Ottawa, Canada. The growing demand for high quality nursing research requires the development and implementation of strategies for enhanced research capacity. A three-month intensive internship was developed as a main feature of a nursing chair held by the first author. The internship was deliberately structured around core processes of providing individual and group mentoring, creating opportunities for experiential education, and strengthening networks with researchers and decision-makers in health services and policy research. Building and sustaining individual research capacity was supported with strategies to address system challenges. If nurses are going t...

Reaching the Top: Career Anchors and Professional Development in Nursing

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:23:26 +0100

This study, based on Shein's conceptual theory of career anchors, examined the relationship between career anchors, professional development and emerging career patterns for graduates of 12 consecutive two year second career programs in nursing (N=231) compared to graduates of concurrent four year academic programs (N=273). A 2-group comparison design was used and data collection tools included a demographic profile, a professional profile and a career anchor questionnaire. Statistically significant differences were found in regard to career anchors (p< 0.001) and career development (p< 0.001). Primary career anchors for the second career nurses were specialization and lifestyle where academic graduates chose management, autonomy and service. Academics displayed a statistically significant...

Competence of Accelerated Second Degree Students after Studying in a Collaborative Model of Nursing Practice Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:23:23 +0100

The article, "CAN-Care: An Innovative Model of Practice-Based Learning" was published in the International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship in 2006 (Article 20). Reported in this paper are the findings of a program evaluation study with 58 participants who completed a survey questionnaire at the end of the program of study and six-months post graduation. The data reveal that the model resulted in graduates who perceived themselves to be competent and effectively prepared for real-world nursing practice. This is contrary to the existing literature which reports graduates' perceived lack of readiness for RN practice. The participants in this study also identified the opportunity to work with a consistent unit-based nurse and having the nursing practice course experiences on consecuti...

Relevant Nursing Leadership: An Evidence-Based Programmatic Response

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:56:26 +0100

Community and student demand for relevant nursing leadership graduate programs provided the impetus for this study. The aims were to identify components of highly competent nursing leadership, and strategies to integrate those components into education and practice.Nursing leaders gathered in five focus groups. A semi-structured interview guide was used to elicit narratives about nursing leadership. Interpretive analysis proceeded from identification of themes to uncovering of paradigm cases. Essential nursing leadership competencies comprised communication skills such as listening, conflict resolution, the ability to communicate a vision, motivate, and inspire. Additionally, leaders needed technological adroitness, fiscal dexterity, and the courage to be proactive during rapid change. Imp...

Assessment of Nursing Student's Learning Outcomes and Employment Choice after the Implementation of a Senior Capstone Course

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:35:45 +0100

Many undergraduate baccalaureate nursing programs incorporate clinical emersion courses at the end of the program. Nursing capstone courses have become increasingly important in facilitating student transition into practice. However, little is known regarding the overall effectiveness of this teaching model for students, nursing programs, and clinical agencies. Previous studies revealed conflicting results about the benefits of a senior level precepted clinical experience. In this multi-method study, the authors examined student learning outcomes, perceptions, employment choice and retention following implementation of a new capstone nursing course. Results of this study indicated that a capstone course does not necessarily significantly improve scores on achievement exams or NCLEX RN firs...

Teaching and Clinical Educator Competency: Bringing Two Worlds Together

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:09:55 +0100

More sessional clinical educators are being employed in educational institutions today than ever before. Also identified in the literature are issues affecting sessional clinical educators' ability to develop and maintain educator competency. Using the definition of educator competency by the National League for Nursing (NLN 2005a), explored in this paper are ways of increasing sessional clinical educator competency, such as orientation and mentorship programs to support student learning in clinical environments. Approaches in the form of theoretical models designed to evaluate clinical educator competency are examined. A new Sessional Clinical Educator Competency (SCEC) Framework is offered to provide direction for implementing strategies to develop and evaluate sessional clinical educato...

A Narrative Study of the Experiences of Student Nurses Who Have Participated in the Hearing Voices that are Distressing Simulation

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:22:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to provide nursing students with an experiential learning opportunity which simulated living with the challenge of voice hearing. The purpose was to access understanding and insights of nursing students who completed "Hearing Voices that are Distressing: A Training Experience and Simulation for Students" (Deegan, 1996). Using a narrative research design and a convenience sample of 27 nursing students, participants were asked to respond in written format to three open ended prompts immediately following their participation in the simulation. Data generated was subjected to a thematic content analysis using a manual cut and paste approach to inductively find meanings and insights elicited from the respondents' actual words. Affirmed in this study was the use of this...

Evolution of Canadian Nursing Curricula: A Critical Retrospective Analysis of Power and Caring

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:04:32 +0100

The evolution of Canadian nursing curricula has mutually influenced and reflected nursing's historical course: nursing practice and education are inextricably linked. This paper is a critical retrospective analysis of the evolution of nursing curricula in Canada from the 20th century to the present. Falk Rafael's (1996) dialectic exploration of power and caring in nursing guides the analysis. An ordered, assimilated, and empowered curriculum development framework results. Foucault's (1980) work in the sociology of knowledge and Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule's (1986) epistemological conceptualization of women's knowledge development are incorporated. The intricacies of the relationship between nursing curriculum development and Canadian history, the navigation of societal paradox...

The Undergraduate Education of Nurses: Looking to the Future

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:23:39 +0100

Societal change historically has presented many challenges for nursing. The challenge to nurse educators is to ensure that professional education remains relevant and keeps abreast of both societal and healthcare changes. These challenges include globalization, changing patient characteristics, science and information technology advancements, the increasing complexities of healthcare, and recent policy and economic developments. The aim of this paper is to consider possible future societal and healthcare changes and how these may impact the preparation of future graduates in general nursing. A clear understanding of these factors is essential if nursing is to meet the challenges presented by tomorrow's healthcare environment within a global context. (Source: International Journal of Nursin...

Systematic Review of Nursing Simulation Literature for Use of Learning Theory

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:19:21 +0100

The purpose of this systematic analysis of nursing simulation literature between 2000 -2007 was to determine how learning theory was used to design and assess learning that occurs in simulations. Out of the 120 articles in which designing nursing simulations was reported, 16 referenced learning or developmental theory as the basis of how and why they set up the simulation. Of the 16 articles that used a learning type of foundation, only two considered learning as a cognitive task. More research is needed that investigates the efficacy of simulation for improving student learning. The study concludes that most nursing faculty approach simulation from a teaching paradigm rather than a learning paradigm. For simulation to foster student learning there must be a fundamental shift from a teachi...

A Second Generation of the Competency-Based Approach to Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:35:45 +0100

This article describes the renewal of a baccalaureate program in nursing. This new program was developed to respond to new challenges presented to the profession. A completely new approach was adopted, the competency-based approach (CBA), with a constructivist, holistic foundation that we named 'second generation CBA.' The CBA theoretical underpinnings are presented, as well as the structure and the content of the program with a special focus on the teaching and learning strategies. A course on health illustrates the approach. Although no rigorous evaluation has been held, comments from students and teachers were collected during the implementation process. Assessment of students' competency levels remains an important issue. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Creating Diversity in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: A Case Study

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:07:10 +0100

Minority groups in the United States experience disparity in the health care services they receive and in their health related outcomes. Minority healthcare providers are more likely to serve minority under-served populations, thus addressing this healthcare disparity in an effective culturally competent manner (Robert Wood Johnson 2005; Sullivan, 2004). The purpose of the project was to increase the number of racial and ethnic minority students who are successfully recruited and admitted to the nursing program at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. The project involved the identification of perceived barriers to increased minority participation in nursing at the college, review of the literature to identify evidence-based interventions, and implementation of selected interventions to overc...

Comparison of Outcomes in a Traditional versus Accelerated Nursing Curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:29:55 +0100

In this descriptive study, graduates of a traditional baccalaureate nursing program were compared with graduates of an accelerated baccalaureate program at the same university between 1991 and 2006. A survey was sent to a random sample of two groups: traditional baccalaureate graduates and graduates of the accelerated program who had previous degrees in another major and completed the nursing curriculum in a shorter time frame than the traditional students, resulting in a total sample of 73 graduates. Outcome variables included demographics, NCLEX passing rates, transitioning to the professional role, employment, professional development, certifications and self-reported reasons the respondents entered the nursing profession and why they remained. There were no statistically significant di...

Using an Interactive Journal Club to Enhance Nursing Research Knowledge Acquisition, Appraisal, and Application

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:47:20 +0100

Nursing practice is intricate and multifaceted. It requires the application of current, health-related research. Nurses are expected to employ evidence-informed practice in making decisions about the clinical care of their clients. A journal club is one method that can help promote an increased awareness of research, educating students to critique and use research findings. In this descriptive pilot study, the use of a journal club was evaluated. University undergraduate nursing students (N=35) across three sites in eastern Canada participated. Although the results are limited, participants found the journal club sessions enjoyable and beneficial for helping them interpret research findings and apply research to clinical practice. More research directed at helping nursing students critique...

Students Inadequate Knowledge about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:47:50 +0100

Little consideration is given to personal relationships and sexuality issues in medical care education and little if any time is allocated to non-heterosexual aspects. The present study uses a descriptive, comparative design, and a modified version of the Knowledge about Homosexuality Questionnaire to investigate nursing and medical students' knowledge on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. The participants were students at a Swedish university in semester 6 of their education programs, and the response rate was 92% (n=124). The aim of the study was to look at the students' access to knowledge concerning LGBT. Shortcomings in LGBT knowledge were seen in the student groups surveyed irrespective of education program, gender or religious belief. Accordingly, it is likely th...

Integrating Patient Decision Support in an Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum: An Implementation Project

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:03:17 +0100

A 4-year curriculum project (2004-2008) to integrate patient decision support into an existing curriculum was guided by the Knowledge-to-Action process model. The purpose of this project was to integrate a patient decision support theoretical framework and associated evidence-based resources throughout a four-year baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Interventions designed to adapt knowledge to local context and overcome barriers to knowledge use included faculty workshop to increase awareness, instructional resources designed for courses and core content, curricular blueprint of key threads to be included within courses, shared resources on the school of nursing internal website, and development of decision support resources in French. Curricular change and sustained use of knowledge was evi...

Gifted and Talented Students' Career Aspirations and Influences: A Systematic Review of the Literature

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:31:05 +0100

The nursing shortage of registered nurses in Canada is expected to worsen, making recruitment a concern for nursing organizations. Also, many reports have outlined the need for improved leadership in nursing. Therefore, the study purpose was to describe the findings of a systematic review of studies examining the career influences and aspirations of gifted high school students and to make recommendations for further research. Results indicate gifted students choose careers that fit their personal self-concept and their perceptions of traits needed to succeed in a profession. Family members, particularly mothers, had the greatest influence on career decision making and these students were more likely to indicate a desire for a profession with high prestige, high levels of education and high...

Integrating Simulated Teaching/Learning Strategies in Undergraduate Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:31:03 +0100

In this article, the results of a mixed-methods study integrating the use of simulations in a nursing theory course in order to assess students' perceptions of self-efficacy for nursing practice are presented. Nursing students in an intervention group were exposed to a combination of lecture and simulation, and then asked to rate their perceptions of self-efficacy, satisfaction and effectiveness of this combined teaching and learning strategy. Based on Bandura's (1977, 1986) theory of self-efficacy, this study provides data to suggest that students' self-confidence for nursing practice may be increased through the use of simulation as a method of teaching and learning. Students also reported higher levels of satisfaction, effectiveness and consistency with their learning style when exposed...

Using a Wiki in Nursing Education and Research

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:21:50 +0100

With a wiki, learners can share information, resources, and experiences, and work together as a group. A wiki is equally valuable to a nursing research team: it can be used to communicate information to team members; foster collaboration among the team; disseminate resources, forms, and other documents for conducting the research; and share experiences with study implementation. Potential uses of a wiki in nursing education and research are discussed in this paper. One team's use of a wiki in a large multisite nursing education study is reported. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Survey on Addictions: Toward Curricular Change for Family Nurse Practitioners

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:42:02 +0100

The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a survey of advanced practice nurses (APNs) to determine the activities they perform related to caring for patients with addictions and or co-occurring mental health disorders, the amount of addictions education in their graduate programs, and their perceptions of the value of addictions education for their role. Data were obtained from 233 APNs in New York State using a tool adapted from a previous job analysis survey. APNs reported the greatest amount of experience in history taking for various types of addictions and co-occurring mental health disorders and least amount of experience in performing objective exams, using standardized screening tools, ordering related diagnostic tests, prescribing pharmacological treatments, and maki...

Keeping the Vision: Sustaining Social Consciousness with Nursing Students following International Learning Experiences

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:39:34 +0100

In an era of globalization, increasing numbers of nursing programs are initiating international learning experiences, yet empirical data is lacking regarding long term benefits and effects of international placements. This paper presents findings from a participatory action study designed in response to this gap. Objectives were to describe student learning in international experiences, and to facilitate strategies that supported integration of this learning into personal and professional domains upon return to Canada. Seventeen students and three faculty participated over twelve months following their international experiences. Initial responses to the international experience included reports of new ways of viewing the world - often characterized by heightened social consciousness - yet ...

Community Health Clinical Education in Canada: Part 2 - Developing Competencies to Address Social Justice, Equity, and the Social Determinants of Health

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:39:31 +0100

This article reports the findings of a qualitative descriptive study that explored how baccalaureate nursing programs in Canada address the development of competencies related to social justice, equity, and the social determinants of health in their community health clinical courses. Focus group interviews were held with community health clinical course leaders in selected Canadian baccalaureate nursing programs. The findings foster understanding of key enablers and challenges when providing students with clinical opportunities to develop the CHN role related to social injustice, inequity, and the social determinants of health. The findings may also have implications for nursing programs internationally that are addressing these concepts in their community health clinical courses. (Source:...

Community Health Clinical Education in Canada: Part 1 - "State of the Art"

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:39:27 +0100

This study afforded a cross-sectional understanding of the "state of the art" of community health clinical education in Canadian schools of nursing. Clinical course conceptual approaches, course objectives, types of clinical sites, format and number of clinical hours, and methods of student evaluation are identified. The findings suggest the need for a national dialogue or consensus building exercise regarding curriculum content for community health nursing. Informing this dialogue are several strengths including the current focus on community health (as opposed to community-based) nursing education, and a solid socio-environmental perspective informing clinical learning and practice. The national data set generated by this study may have relevance to nursing programs globally. (Source: In...

Evaluation of an Online Graduate Nursing Curriculum: Examining Standards of Quality

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:47:44 +0100

Recent offerings of online courses have outpaced the evaluation of the quality of those offerings, particularly at the program level. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the quality of a set of 16 graduate nursing courses developed for three master's specialty programs. An interdisciplinary group of nursing faculty and instructional technologists collaborated in the development of a quality assessment tool and evaluated 16 online graduate nursing courses. Faculty members for each of the courses were interviewed as part of the process. The collaborative design and development process is discussed, as well as evaluation techniques and the data collection instrument. Examples of best practices and areas for improvement in online courses are presented. The findings will help others as ...

Nursing Graduate Supervision of Theses and Projects at a Distance: Issues and Challenges

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:49:17 +0100

Nursing graduate supervision of theses and projects at a distance is a new experience for many faculties. In our global and mobile society, nursing students frequently seek graduate programs that are geographically distant from their home communities. As options for nursing graduate education through distributive learning become increasingly available, the challenges for faculty to supervise graduate students at a distance pose issues and concerns. In this paper, key issues including difficulty deciding between a project and a thesis, difficulty identifying a supervisor, developing the mentoring relationship between the student and the supervisor, and conducting analysis at a distance are discussed. Strategies developed to address these challenges are presented and critiqued. (Source: Inte...

The Use of Hi Fidelity Simulation to Enhance Nursing Students' Therapeutic Communication Skills

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:49:13 +0100

This article presents an innovative strategy for nursing students to practice therapeutic communication skills with psychiatric patients by using hi fidelity simulation with Laerdal SimMan. Using the SimMan vocal function enabled nurse educators to develop communication algorithms that allowed students to interact with SimMan as they would with psychiatric patients. The SimMan algorithms can be designed to mimic many scenarios typically found in psychiatric settings. Nursing students can use this technology to take the therapeutic communication skills they have learned in the classroom and practice them in a safe laboratory environment before entering actual psychiatric settings. The ability of students to practice communication skills prior to entering psychiatric settings can promote eff...

The Development of a Quantitative Evaluation Tool for Simulations in Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:48:32 +0100

In a complex healthcare environment, educating nursing students to safely care for clients is a challenging endeavor. As the use of high fidelity simulations increases, the ability to evaluate students is essential. A review of the literature identified a lack of tested simulation evaluation instruments to accurately measure student performance. A simulation evaluation tool was developed and tested with senior nursing students. Content validity was established from the literature and from the review of the tool by an expert panel. Reliability was established using sixteen simulation sessions, with two trained evaluators at each session. Percent agreement by evaluators ranged from 84.4% to 89.1%. Additional research needs to verify these results with different evaluators, varying levels of ...

Improving Communication among Healthcare Providers: Preparing Student Nurses for Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:50:05 +0100

Communication errors are identified by the Joint Commission as the primary root cause of sentinel events across all categories. In addition, improving the effectiveness of communication among healthcare providers is listed as one of the Joint Commission's 2008 National Patient Safety Goals. Nursing programs are expected to graduate practice-ready nurses who demonstrate quality and safety in patient care, which includes interdisciplinary communication. Through objectively structured clinical assessment simulations, faculty evaluate each nursing student's ability to perform many aspects of care, including the ability to communicate effectively with physicians via telephone in an emergent situation. This quality improvement project reports the results of a three-year review of undergraduate s...

Integrative Thinking and Learning in Undergraduate Nursing Education: Three Strategies

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:19:07 +0100

This article describes three learning activities used in the undergraduate nursing degree program at a mid-sized university in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Each activity, a reflective writing assignment, scenario testing, and an OSCE experience, is considered in terms of integrative thinking. Formal and informal evaluation of the activities is also discussed.Based on the authors' experiences, integrative thinking including habits of mind and cognitive skills can be directed and enhanced. To maximize students' growth as integrative thinkers, they should be exposed to many kinds of activities that target this growth. Generally, such activities tend to be case-based and interactive in nature. They also require a level of scaffolding or directedness. To develop and implement such activities, ...

Stories as Integrated Patterns of Knowing in Nursing Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:21:23 +0100

The primary aim of this qualitative study was to explore the scholarly benefits of storytelling as a means to promote students' understanding and integration of both the art and science of nursing. As one of the oldest methods of communication, storytelling has been used in a variety of ways in nursing education. Despite this myriad of literature, there were no studies found that analyzed the actual content of students' stories. Using Carper's (1978) Fundamental Patterns of Knowing as a guiding framework for narrative analysis, twenty-five personal stories written by junior level nursing students were examined for evidence of empirics, ethics, esthetics, and personal knowing. Results indicated students were able to not only integrate art and science within their experiences but were also a...

Girl Scout Badge Day as a Service Learning Experience

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:13:02 +0100

Acquiring clinical experiences for students is a major challenge for nurse educators. One of the most difficult areas in which to secure clinical experiences is pediatric nursing; yet, nurse educators have a responsibility to create innovative strategies to assure that students have experience with pediatric clients. The purpose of this paper is to describe Girl Scout Badge Day (GSBD), a teaching strategy rooted in service learning. The strategy incorporates the three essential elements that distinguish service learning from other learning: experiential learning, reflection, and reciprocal learning. During this clinical experience, students provide health promotion education to scouts who subsequently earn badge requirements. Students are provided experiential learning as they implement th...

Social Justice as a Framework for Undergraduate Community Health Clinical Experiences in the United States

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:57:46 +0100

Educating future registered nurses for social justice is an urgent, yet complex undertaking in undergraduate education. Although the need for social justice education is often highlighted, few articles describe practical teaching strategies for ensuring that undertaking. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how a curricular focus on social justice framed and supported the development of a clinical evaluation tool for undergraduate community health clinical experiences. First, social justice is defined and its relationship to baccalaureate nursing education explained. Then a description is provided of how social justice was highlighted in the vision, curriculum, and community health clinical evaluation tool of a College of Nursing. The article subsequently showcases the content and ...

A Rubric for Improving the Quality of Online Courses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:40:25 +0100

All of the graduate students in the School of Nursing take some of their Master of Science courses online. A group of six School of Nursing faculty members and a graduate student received funding to determine best practices in online courses. The group developed an evaluation rubric to measure quality in the graduate online curriculum. They then applied the rubric to the core courses which are primarily offered online and are required for all graduate nursing students. The project had a positive impact on faculty by offering a tool useful for online course evaluation and development. Additionally it brought to attention the needs of faculty member development in online education. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

We Have a High-Fidelity Simulator, Now What? Making the Most of Simulators

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:40:19 +0100

This article describes methods to maximize the use of simulators, dispel reservations of faculty, and provides hints on how to build successful scenarios and how to encourage their use. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Linking Learning and Confidence in Developing Expert Practice

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:31:40 +0100

This article seeks to address this gap by illustrating the centrality of learning and confidence in the development of expert specialist practices. It is anticipated that these findings will resonate with the experiences of clinicians and faculty internationally and heightened awareness of consequences of developing confidence can be utilized to strengthen the impact of a wide range of nursing programs. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Social Responsibility: Conceptualization and Embodiment in a School of Nursing

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:24:40 +0100

This paper describes how a school of nursing has conceptualized and embodied social responsibility in its core values, curricular design, admission standards, clinical practice, and service learning opportunities. The school's engagement in the process of practicing social responsibility and clarifying its meaning and application has made apparent the natural linkage between social responsibility and professionalism and the deep and complex relationship between social responsibility and nursing itself. It has also revealed how a commitment to social responsibility impacts and determines for whom nurses care. Claiming social responsibility as a core value and working to refine its meaning and place has increased the school's commitment to it, concomitantly impacting education, practice, and...

Return to Nursing Programmes: Justifications for a Mental Health Specific Course

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:24:36 +0100

This paper presents the findings from research that investigated the feasibility of developing a specialty return to mental health nursing programme in New Zealand. This was achieved through a scoping of existing return to nursing programmes; a survey of non-active nurses; and stakeholder consultation via interviews or focus groups. Existing generic programmes fail to attract non active nurses wishing to focus on mental health nursing. The non-active nurses survey found 142 nurses who presently would or might possibly return to mental health nursing and participate in a programme. Most stakeholders supported the idea of implementing such a programme. The findings from this research indicate both feasibility and enthusiasm for the introduction of return to mental health nursing programmes. ...

The Integration of Simulation into a Clinical Foundations of Nursing Course: Student and Faculty Perspectives

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:24:31 +0100

Taking the initial steps to integrate simulation into a nursing program can appear overwhelming to faculty and supportive personnel. This paper will describe an approach taken by one undergraduate nursing program in the United States that focused on integrating simulation into a clinical foundations nursing course. Current research was used to guide the design and implementation of simulation. Several key points from the literature were applied to the process; linking scenarios with didactic information, the importance of debriefing, and the need for repetitive practice. Using these concepts, simulation scenarios were constructed following the Nursing Education Simulation Framework. Three scenarios were subsequently implemented during the course, with data from students and faculty collect...

Investigating Nursing Students' Perceptions of the Changes in a Nursing Curriculum by Means of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) Inventory: Results of a Cluster Analysis

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:04:49 +0100

This study clearly demonstrated changes in students' perceptions of the new nursing curriculum and learning climate when adjustments were made to the curriculum involving workloads, positioning of modules, teaching policy and assessment expectations, including curriculum committee development and student representative input. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

`Constructing Communities for Learning in Nursing'

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:33:07 +0100

Working in communities is increasingly a feature of UK (United Kingdom) higher education. Within the last decade communities of practice (CoPs) have migrated from organisational development departments and evolved to become tools for practice based learning in educational settings. More recently, in nursing, the literature reports that CoPs have the potential to blend the skills of both academics and clinicians to transform and create new knowledge that is both scholarly and applicable to practice. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Problem-Based Learning: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Physical Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing Curriculum

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:22:51 +0100

This article will describe an innovative strategy used in a family nurse practitioner program in the USA that focused on beginning the course with the episodic examination, and moving to a complete physical later in the semester. The focused episodic history and physical was conducted on 12 of the most commonly occurring chief complaints in primary care, helping prepare students to become clinically competent more quickly.The methods of implementation will be described as well as the attitudes of the effectiveness of the strategy based upon participant satisfaction. Recommendations for implementation will be discussed. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Preparing the Community Health Nursing Workforce: Internal and External Enablers and Challenges Influencing Undergraduate Nursing Programs in Canada

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:18:19 +0100

The Canadian Schools of Nursing (CASN) task force on public health was mandated to facilitate Schools of Nursing to provide students with the foundation required to meet the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice. This paper reports on an environmental scan that explored barriers and enablers influencing the integration of community health nursing content in baccalaureate education in Canada. Data was collected over three phases including: 1) a pan-Canadian survey of nursing schools, 2) completion of open-ended workbook questions by educators, policy makers, administrators, and community health nursing managers attending a pan-Canadian symposium on community health nursing, and 3) recorded notes from the symposium. The response rate for the survey was 72.5% (n = 61 schools...

Examining the Effects of Problem-Based Learning and NCLEX-RN Scores on the Critical Thinking Skills of Associate Degree Nursing Students in a Southeastern Community College

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:28:17 +0100

Teaching methodologies used to promote critical thinking should be investigated to enhance the delivery of safe and effective care and to improve student success on the NCLEX-RN Exam. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a problem-based learning methodology on the critical thinking skills of associate degree nursing students in a 12-week NCLEX-Review Course. An experimental pre-post treatment comparative design was utilized to determine the effects of the two teaching methods on the critical thinking skills of fourth semester students enrolled in a NCLEX-Review Course. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

LIVE: A Tool to Support Student/Teacher Enactment of Community Health Nursing Praxis

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:06:30 +0100

Drawing on the authors' own experience, while working with students and faculty in a senior level undergraduate baccalaureate nursing program, a tool was developed to assist both faculty and student nurses in the process of praxis reflection in community health. The tool, LIVE, will be described and will provide a guide for students as they transition from hospital-based nursing to community nursing. The framework's four phases of learning, inviting, valuing and engaging are described. Key content areas and strategies for faculty to consider as they support students in their community health experience are provided. Students are invited to expand their understanding about nursing and to go beyond the medical model that underpins nursing in the hospital setting. The LIVE tool will assist fa...

Nursing Students with Disabilities: One Faculty's Journey

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:02:34 +0100

Legislation requires universities to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities to facilitate their access to post-secondary education. In the case of professional programs, educators must think beyond the classroom and consider the implications for clinical practice. The nature of some students' accommodations prompted concerns about the students' ability to meet program expectations. This paper describes the explorations and actions of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Nursing regarding working with undergraduate nursing students with disabilities. The paper includes a summary of literature, strategies adopted to facilitate access to nursing education for students with disabilities, and issues that require further attention. (Source: International Journal of Nur...

Debriefing with the OPT Model of Clinical Reasoning during High Fidelity Patient Simulation

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:09:16 +0100

Evidenced-based educational practices propose simulation as a valuable teaching and learning strategy to promote situated cognition and clinical reasoning to teach nursing students how to solve problems. A project that uses a structured debriefing activity, the Outcome Present State-Test Model of clinical reasoning following high fidelity patient simulation, is described in this paper. The results of this project challenge faculty to create and manage patient simulation scenarios that coordinate with didactic content and clinical experiences to direct student learning for the best reinforcement of clinical reasoning outcomes. Considerations for the future include incorporating patient simulation activities as part of student evaluation and curriculum development. The arguments for using hi...

Nursing Student-Patient Relationships: A Descriptive Study of Students' and Patients' Views

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:32:21 +0100

This study was designed to describe and compare nursing students' and patients' perceptions of the relationship between students and patients. The data was collected in Finland from a convenience sample of nursing students (n=290) and patients (n=242) using questionnaires especially designed for this study. The results indicated that students viewed the relationship as more authoritative and facilitative, while patients regarded the relationship as more mechanistic. Furthermore, students' and patients' views on their relationships differed significantly. These results have important implications for nursing education. They particularly highlight the need to further strengthen nursing student-patient interactions and relationships. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholar...

Online Post LPN to BN Students' Views of Transitioning to a New Nursing Role

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:32:15 +0100

Vocationally prepared nurses, most of whom are women, experience unique challenges when they enter an online university. And yet, educational research examining their perceptions about transitioning into a new professional role is limited. This qualitative descriptive study investigated beginning Post LPN to BN students' views of role differences among nurses and the process of transitioning between those roles. The project was framed from a constructivist theoretical perspective and applied repertory grid methodology from the field of personal construct psychology. Ten students from a Canadian online university were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed for themes. Findings revealed that students appreciated recognition for their previous accomplishments. They valued affirmatio...

Diffusion of Innovation: Embedding Simulation into Nursing Curricula

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:43:52 +0100

This article provides details on the efforts to embed simulation in an undergraduate program that started with a few interested faculty at a large, multi-site nursing program. The Diffusion of Innovation theory was used to guide the expansion of simulation to other faculty groups. The techniques used to embed simulation into the undergraduate curriculum were directed by past research. This process led to a successful integration of simulation which could provide some innovative suggestions for other programs facing similar barriers. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Limited Use of the Human Patient Simulator by Nurse Faculty: An Intervention Program Designed to Increase Use

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:08:18 +0100

Underutilization of human patient simulators (HPS) is not only a curricular issue but also a resource allocation problem. The study explored factors contributing to the limited HPS by faculty in a large ADN program. There is limited empirical evidence published to address this phenomenon. The researchers surveyed the faculty to identify their beliefs and challenges with implementing simulation based upon the constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and intent to use) of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). An educational intervention to address these specific challenges was implemented. The intervention had a positive influence on all TPB construct means (attitudes, p < .01; subjective norms, p < .01; perceived behavioral control, p < .01; intent, p < .05). At...

The Influence of End-of-Life Education on Attitudes of Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:13:17 +0100

Palliative care is an important aspect of nursing when comfort and quality of life are the patient goals. The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) developed a comprehensive program of teaching care of the dying to nurses and nursing students. This pretest-posttest study evaluated the influence of the integration of the ELNEC curriculum into a baccalaureate nursing program on students' attitudes toward care of the dying. The Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying Scale for nurses (FATCOD) was administered to traditional and accelerated baccalaureate students before and after exposure to a nursing curriculum that integrated essential ELNEC elements. Multiple regression analyses indicated that no previous experience with death and an age of 18-22 accounted for the most varian...

Integrating Spirituality into Undergraduate Nursing Curricula

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:39:26 +0100

Nursing programs have done a commendable job keeping pace with the rapid advances in disease management. Yet, spirituality has received far less attention in nursing curricula (Keefe, 2005) and nursing students often do not have a strong foundation in this area. The purpose of this project was to integrate spirituality into the undergraduate nursing curricula and measure student outcomes related to spiritual knowledge and attitudes. Nursing faculty participated in a spirituality education program and followed this with sessions focused on integration of spiritual content into individual nursing courses. Student pre and post-tests were administered using a standard instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Significant differences in spirituality knowledge and attitudes among ...

Factors Influencing Intent to Stay in Academia for Nursing Faculty in the Southern United States of America

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:50:51 +0100

The current nursing faculty shortage makes understanding intent to stay in academia a step toward slowing the exodus of faculty. The purpose of this study was to discover a parsimonious set of predictor variables from the variables of job satisfaction, mentoring, organizational commitment, and leadership behaviors for intent to stay in nursing education. A random cluster sample consisted of 39 schools of nursing in states within the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). There were 316 responses from 782 potential participants for a response rate of 40.4%. Stepwise multiple regression results indicated that organizational commitment explained 19.7% of the variance in intent to stay one year and 21.2% of the variance in intent to stay five years. Further, mentored faculty scored signific...

``Failure to Assign Failing Grades": Issues with Grading the Unsafe Student

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:50:39 +0100

In a grounded theory study examining the process of precepting an unsafe student, it was found that preceptors assigned passing grades to students who in fact should not have passed. Although preceptors perceived their role as gatekeepers for the profession, by not assigning failing grades to students who should not have passed a course, essentially they were abdicating their responsibility. Indeed, the simple act of assuming responsibility for precepting a student implies professional as well as pedagogical accountability. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Understanding Decimal Numbers: A Foundation for Correct Calculations

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:38:21 +0100

We describe a remedial intervention that resulted in significant improvement on a delayed post-intervention test. We conclude that nurse educators should consider diagnosing and, as necessary, plan for remediation of students' foundational understanding of decimal numbers before teaching procedural rules. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Creating a Community of Scholars: Using a Community Development Approach to Foster Scholarship with Nursing Faculty

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:28:15 +0100

Many nurse educators in Canada have participated in a culture where their primary responsibility was to educate nurses and provide service to their communities. Over the last three decades, major rethinking of this focus has resulted in the expectation that nurse educators engage in scholarship. In this paper, we describe a community development project designed to foster nurse educators' scholarship. This approach was chosen not only to build scholarship capacity amongst nursing faculty, but also to effect a change in the culture of scholarship prevalent in many academic environments. Rather than focusing on individual scholarly endeavours, the project partners' vision is for a collaborative approach that creates a community of scholars working together. (Source: International Journal of ...

Developing a Self-Concept of Nurse in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:08:20 +0100

Nursing is a profession and a social phenomenon. Developing a concept of oneself as a professional nurse is a process of socialization and a critical outcome of a nursing program of study. This process is a key concern of nurse educators who design learning experiences as part of the educational program. The purpose of this paper is to describe a grounded theory investigation into the process of developing a self-concept of nurse in baccalaureate nursing students. The grounded theory that emerged from this inquiry was "Building on a Foundation of Knowledge by 'Taking it All In.'" This foundation is built upon in small portions at a time with knowledge gleaned from a variety of sources. Nurse educators, found to be a source of knowledge, can take specific steps to deliberately embellish the...

A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Student Learning in a Psychosocial Nursing Class Infused with Art, Literature, Music, and Film

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:27:10 +0100

Nursing educators have long valued and supported the integration of liberal arts in professional nursing programs. This descriptive qualitative study explores the meanings students derive from the integration of liberal arts content into a psychosocial nursing class. Questionnaires, class observation, and focus group interviews revealed five themes: an interesting hook, a deeper level of understanding, developing self-understanding, developing empathy and increasing cultural awareness. Researchers suggest that integrating liberal arts into nursing education enhances student learning. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Enhancing Baccalaureate Nursing Information Technology Outcomes: Faculty Perspectives

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:07:18 +0100

Baccalaureate nurses must be prepared to meet information technology expectations for practice and future professional development. Therefore, educational programs must evaluate curriculum and student outcomes and address areas for improvement. Faculty members were surveyed regarding barriers and strategies for improving information technology outcomes. Project findings have educational, clinical agency, legal, and policy implications. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Faculty Teaching Time: A Comparison of Web-Based and Face-to-Face Graduate Nursing Courses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:41:45 +0100

Web-based education brings a new dimension to the issue of measuring faculty workload. Current literature reflects instructor concerns related to the time required to teach web-based courses (McAlpine, Lockerbie, Ramsay & Beaman 2002; Sellani & Harrington, 2002; Smith, Ferguson & Caris, 2001). This descriptive, comparative study seeks to determine the time required to teach web-based graduate nursing courses and compare that to teaching similar courses in the face-to-face setting. Utilizing time records previously collected as part of a federally funded grant, data from 11 web-based and five face-to-face graduate level nursing courses were analyzed. Although a statistically significant difference in teaching time requirements was not demonstrated, several interesting trends did appear. Exa...

Curriculum Innovation in an Accelerated BSN Program: The ACE Model

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:19:54 +0100

This article describes an 11-month Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Nursing Program's innovative curriculum design, which has a heavy emphasis on technology, professional socialization, and the use of a standardized patient experience as a form of summative evaluation. In addition, challenges of this program are presented. Since 2002, the ACE Program has graduated over 500 students with an average first-time NCLEX pass rate of 95-100%. Although the number of graduates from accelerated programs does not solve the severe nursing shortage, the contributions of these intelligent, assertive, pioneering graduates are important for health care. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Curriculum Module in Nursing Schools Targeting Safe Patient Handling and Movement

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:14:34 +0100

In this study, we found that nurse educator and student knowledge improved significantly at intervention schools, as did intention to use mechanical lifting devices in the near future. We concluded that the curriculum module is ready for wide dissemination across nursing schools to reduce the risk of MSDs among nurses. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)

Outcomes of ADN-BSN Partnerships to Increase Baccalaureate Prepared Nurses

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:40:36 +0100

This article describes the program planning, implementation, and evaluation using an adapted assessment framework with partnership principles as its foundation. Interactive television, internet education components, local clinical experiences, and distant nursing faculty liaisons were used. The nursing course sequence was completed by 101 of 102 students. Hall's Professionalism Scale, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test measured the increases found in professional socialization and critical thinking. Use of the adapted theoretical framework represented a strategic approach to developing a distance delivered nursing education program. (Source: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship)