Testing the efficacy of a scaffolded writing intervention with online degree-completion nursing students: A quasi-experimental design

Online degree programmes in nurse education-Students' perceptions and academic performance: An integrative review

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this integrative review is to identify, describe, and synthesise evidence regarding students' perceptions of online degree programmes in nurse education, their academic performance, and the factors associated with their academic performance.

DESIGN

Integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

Four databases, CINAHL, ERIC (Ebsco), PubMed/MEDLINE, and Web of Science were searched. The reference lists of included studies were reviewed to identify other relevant studies.

REVIEW METHODS

Whittemore and Knafl's method was used as a guideline for the integrative review. Peer-reviewed studies describing students' perceptions of-or academic performance in-online degree programmes in nurse education were included in the review without time limitations. The quality of the selected article was assessed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

Nursing students' perceptions of online degree programmes were categorised into enabling career development, content delivered online, and community belonging. Factors related to student's academic performance were associated with individual students and the characteristics of online learning environments. Factors associated with students' academic performance were individual self-direction, formal communication skills, and working and educational backgrounds. Factors associated with academic performance in an online learning environment were categorised into regular feedback and methods for learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Online degree programmes in nurse education contribute to developing pedagogy through a satisfactory work-life balance, students' experiences of community and support, pleasant digital content, and various teaching methods by faculties. The study findings of this review have implications for educators to develop and adopt strategies for advancing digital environments with the pedagogy that supports community building to meet the needs of individual students.

An evaluation of staff experiences of the Royal Literary Fund writer-in-residence service to support improvements in written communication in healthcare

Written communication is essential to staff and patient experience in healthcare. The Royal Literary Fund has hosted a writing fellow in an NHS Trust since 2018 providing professional writing training. The aim of this evaluation was to explore the experiences of staff using the service. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 staff members from a range of professions who had accessed the service. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The writing service was highly valued. Three themes emerged: feelings about writing at work, reported benefits of attending sessions, and perceived barriers to accessing them. Staff felt underskilled in professional writing and described the wish to write more succinctly and reflectively. Self-reported confidence increased after sessions. Stigma around writing skills prevented some staff from recommending the service. Wider adoption of professional writing skills training through the NHS could have benefits in terms of increasing self-perceived skills and confidence.

Scaffolding in Health Sciences Education Programmes: An Integrative Review

The complexity of health sciences programmes justifies scaffolding to support students in becoming competent health professionals. This article reports on an integrative review that aimed to describe the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes. Twenty-nine sources, inclusive of theoretical and empirical studies, were reviewed. The sequencing of educational activities, the application of scaffolding tools or resources, frameworks for applying scaffolding, modelling, and fading represented the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes. Awareness of the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes could contribute to enhancing competence development among students when applied across all learning platforms.

Standards for Scaffolding in Health Sciences Programmes: A Delphi Consensus Study

Introduction

Health sciences programmes operate in complex, unpredictable contexts, underscoring the need for comprehensive scaffolding of the learning processes. Yet, the scaffolding approaches remain fragmented, and lack a shared approach to how programmes could integrate scaffolding across the curricula. The literature argues that standards result in the comprehensive implementation of educational practices. There are no reported standards related to scaffolding practices in these programmes.

OBJECTIVES

To develop standards for scaffolding in health sciences programmes utilising a consensus approach through a modified Delphi Technique.

METHODS

Following the recommendations on Conducting and REporting of DElphi Studies (CREDES), an online modified Delphi technique was applied. Evidence on the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes, obtained through an integrative review, was synthesised to draft standards. Using purposive and snowball sampling, an international panel from diverse geographical and professional backgrounds refined and validated the standards. Descriptive statistics was utilised to analyse demographic data and consensus agreements to include standards and criteria. Qualitative analysis of textual comments ensured the synthesis and inclusion of critical divergent views and additions.

RESULTS

A total of 22 experts from around the globe agreed to participate in the study and one did not complete Delphi surveys. Most experts (n = 18) held a PhD; and an average of 19 years of teaching in health sciences programmes. Four standards and 27 criteria were included after achieving consensus during the two Delphi surveys rounds. The included standards focused on four areas: structuring and sequencing educational activities, resources/tools for scaffolding, structuring the programme and instructional strategies to support learning.

CONCLUSION

The principle-based standards developed in this study could direct and support scaffolding practices in health sciences programmes. The standards' emphases on macro-, meso- and micro-scaffolding present numerous opportunities for designing and applying contextually sensitive scaffolding strategies at every level of curriculum implementation.

Methods and strategies to promote academic literacies in health professions: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Universities enroll students from diverse backgrounds every year, with 300 million students expected in higher education by 2025. However, with widening participation, increasing numbers of students enrolling in higher health education and future health professions will be underprepared to meet demands of academic literacies, i.e. ability to read, interpret and critically evaluate academic texts and communicating the understanding verbally or in writing. The aim of this scoping review was to describe and explore methods and strategies to promote development of academic literacies.

RESULTS

Thirty-one relevant studies were included and analyzed according to scoping review guidelines. The results showed four strategies: (1) integrating learning activities to develop academic literacies in the regular curriculum, (2) changing the course design with new methods for teaching and learning, (3) establish collaborations amongst academics and librarian faculty, and (4) adding courses or foundation year focusing on development of academic literacies. The results are discussed in light of the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development, Goal 4, Quality Education, and widening participation.

CONCLUSIONS

Aspects of widening participation and inclusion in higher education have been debated, and increasing numbers of students from diverse backgrounds are expected to enter health studies in higher education. We encourage integration of teaching and learning activities targeting parallel learning of course materials and development of academic literacies, beyond study skills. Embracing epistemic complexity and diversity as well as choosing strategic work with academic literacies may provide a starting point toward realizing sustainable development goals and widening participation.

Evaluating Scientific Writing Skill in DNP Program Students

BACKGROUND/PROBLEM

Scientific writing skill development interventions in nursing are widely represented in the literature, but the specific skills required are poorly defined and measured.

APPROACH

This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design to compare scientific writing skill assessment of doctor of nursing practice students' final project reports using 2 rubrics.

OUTCOMES

Of 13 skills, the strongest were: adherence to a standard structure, paraphrasing, and grammar, punctuation, and style. The weakest were: use of primary sources, concise, nonredundant presentation, and critical appraisal. Overall interrater agreement for the general essay writing rubric was 69.6%, and that for the scientific writing rubric was 82.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to the essay rubric, the scientific writing rubric was more useful for identifying skill strengths and weaknesses and improved interrater consistency.

Nursing students' expectations of the process of writing a bachelor's thesis in Sweden: A qualitative study

While performing various academic work, such as writing a bachelor's thesis, are known to be challenging for university students, less is known about students' expectations in this regard.

AIM

The aim was to describe students' expectations of the upcoming process of writing a bachelor's thesis.

DESIGN

The study employed an explorative, qualitative approach with a single, written open-ended question design.

METHODS

The data were collected consecutively 2013-2016 in class. A total of 93 final-year students volunteered and provided hand-written accounts which were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The students' accounts revealed three generic categories of expectations: Gaining professional knowledge and competency, Planning and organizing the work, and Taking stock of personal resources. Writing a bachelor's thesis was a new challenge for most of the students and the answers testify to mixed feelings about the upcoming work and its supervision.

CONCLUSIONS

The nursing students' expectations included present and future competencies, skills and abilities. In promoting development of transferable skills and knowledge, educators of future health-care professionals would be well advised to invite students to reflect on and discuss, their expectations prior to writing a bachelor's thesis and similar academic student papers. This study adds to the research on students' studying and learning in nursing education by bringing to the fore students' expectations of academic learning tasks as an important aspect to consider in higher education contexts, both nationally and internationally.

Simulated directed-learning in life-education intervention on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being among nursing students: A Quasi-experimental study

Nursing educators have the responsibility to equip nursing students with knowledge about the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in order to enhance their physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in regard to immediate and delayed effects in improving physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion.The method of this study was constituted a quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups for pre-test, post-test, and post-post-test. Purposive sampling and non-random distribution were used in the study. Assigned to the experimental group, 54 participants were third-year nursing students enrolled in a health education course with simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention. Assigned to the control group, 56 participants were third-year nursing students enrolled in a caring care course without simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention. A 56-item questionnaire was utilized, and the content validity index (CVI) was 0.95, as determined by seven expert scholars. The reliability of the questionnaire (n = 45) on Cronbach's α were: meaning of life 0.96, positive beliefs 0.95, and well-being 0.96. The statistical package SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze all of the data in the study. Frequencies, percentages, pre-test mean and SD, post-test mean and SD, post-post-test mean and SD, chi-squared test, t test, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) were employed for data analysis.Nursing students in the experimental group compared with the control group exhibited significant differences in meaning of life on the pre-post-test (β = 16.40, P < .001) and pre-post post-test (β = 25.94, P < .001), positive beliefs on the pre-post-test (β = 5.64, P < .01) and pre-post post-test (β = 9.21, P < .001), and well-being on the pre-post-test (β = 14.33, P < .001) and pre-post post-test (β = 23.68, P < .001).Nursing students in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in the simulated directed-learning with a life-education intervention on meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in the immediate and delayed effects that enhanced their physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion.