Nursing students learning transfer from classroom to clinical practice: An integrative review

Academic success in undergraduate nursing education: An integrative review

AIMS

The aim of this review was to synthesize and appraise the available literature regarding academic success in undergraduate nursing education.

DESIGN

We used Whittemore and Knafl's five-stage framework for integrative reviews. Toronto and Remington's step-by-step guide to integrative reviews provided practical guidance in the review process.

DATA SOURCES

A search was employed to retrieve relevant scholarly, peer-reviewed, English-language articles published between 2003 and 2023 using the databases APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Education Research Complete, and MEDLINE.

REVIEW METHODS

The initial search located 2599 articles. After duplicate screening at title and abstract and full text levels using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 40 articles were selected for inclusion. All included articles were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for empirical studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools for the reviews and the theoretical papers.

RESULTS

A review and synthesis of the articles revealed preadmission factors can impact academic success in undergraduate nursing education. However, most authors used narrow measures of success such as on-time graduation and exam performance. In most articles performance in the clinical environment was not considered measured as part of academic success. Few empirical studies used a theoretical framework, and the overall methodological quality of the included articles was mixed.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest a gap in the literature regarding more inclusive approaches to measuring academic success in undergraduate nursing education. The dearth of qualitative studies and limited attention to how academic success is measured in the clinical learning environment suggest future research should focus on exploring student nurses' perceptions of success. Furthermore, researchers examining this topic are encouraged to utilize suitable theoretical frameworks to guide empirical studies.

Debriefing to nurture clinical reasoning in nursing students: A design-based research study

BACKGROUND

Students' clinical reasoning can be stimulated by guiding them to use their experiences with patients to develop own illness scripts. Debriefing during hospital shifts invites students to put patient experiences into words, link them to previously acquired knowledge and make connections.

OBJECTIVES

To develop, implement and evaluate a debriefing procedure for nursing internships based on illness script theory and generate corresponding design principles.

DESIGN

Qualitative design-based research.

SETTING

Clinical education in dedicated educational hospital units.

PARTICIPANTS

Nurse educators, nursing students.

METHODS

From a collaboration between nurse educators and a researcher, a short, peer-debriefing procedure was designed, tested and enacted through four cycles of planning, action, evaluation and reflection. Students drew mind maps about patients. Nurse educators and students joined focus group discussions to evaluate outcomes and processes. Mind map and iterative thematic analysis were applied to these data.

RESULTS

An adjusted design and more extensive design principles resulted. Differences in mind maps were evident over time. Three themes in the process evaluation were established: trigger to reason; energy giving and taking; and form follows function.

CONCLUSIONS

This design-based investigation displays how nurse educators could design and implement a debriefing procedure to facilitate students' clinical reasoning skills and how students could learn from this. This method integrates research, innovation and collaboration. The design and enactment under real-life hospital conditions generated design principles for educators and researchers which may be useful for those seeking to improve teaching and learning clinical reasoning in practice. More clarification is needed about the path from design through enactment to real change in practice.

Exploring nursing students' experiences of contemplating self-injury during their clinical practicums: A phenomenological study

AIM

To explore nursing students' thoughts and feelings about self-injuring during their clinical practicums.

BACKGROUND

Unfamiliar clinical environments pose challenges for nursing students, potentially leading to high levels of stress. When students find it difficult to cope with emotional triggers, some contemplate self-injury. Yet, it is rare to explore nursing students' thoughts and feelings related to self-injury during their clinical practicums.

DESIGN

A phenomenological approach was used.

METHODS

Purposive sampling was used and the participants were drawn from nursing students who graduated from universities in Taiwan. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted from August to November 2023. Data saturation was reached after interviewing 15 participants. Colaizzi's seven steps and NVivo software were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes and 14 subthemes emerged. They were: (1) Sensing an emotional crescendo: participants experienced anxieties about clinical educators, assignments, homework and the clinical practicums and these intensified across time. (2) Physical and mental dysregulation: participants experienced physical discomfort, psychological distress and negative thoughts when subjected to overwhelming pressures during their clinical practicums. (3) Unwholesome self-protective behaviors: participants expressed thoughts of self-injury, engaged in self-injurious behaviors, experienced suicidal ideations and attempted suicide as measures of relieving stress. (4) Compassionate self-protective behaviors: participants coped with stress through emotional voicing, modifying situations to adjust stress, reaching out for help, self-compassion and self-care.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings raise awareness of the need for clinical educators to demonstrate empathy with nursing students who have thoughts of self-injury during their clinical practicums. Further, it is crucial for them to offer timely guidance on the healing process while simultaneously creating nurturing clinical environments wherein students could flourish and grow.

Gerontology and Geriatrics in Undergraduate Nursing Education in Portugal and Spain: An Integrative and Comparative Curriculum Review

Nurses play a critical role in caring for elderly patients; however, the emphasis on aging care in undergraduate programs may be insufficient. The present study aims at identifying the relevance given to theoretical and/or practical gerontological and geriatric contents in undergraduate study plans in Portugal and Spain. Presenting a two-part investigation, an integrative review approach examines nursing education on a global scale and a comparative analysis, using Bereday's comparative method, to assess the nursing curricula between Portugal and Spain. The search found 117 documents, with 16 being included. Studies covered diverse educational practices in geriatric and gerontological nursing, emphasizing curriculum development, faculty expertise, practical training, attitudes towards elderly care, and future directions. The comparative analysis of nursing curricula revealed that Portugal places a priority on building foundational theoretical knowledge in the first year and then gradually integrating practical training. In contrast, Spain emphasizes an extensive and integrated approach with a strong focus on practical skills and comprehensive assessments. Our research emphasizes the need to incorporate aging-focused education into nursing curricula and update the curriculum, providing hands-on training with early exposure to these environments. Additionally, simulation classes can enhance critical thinking by allowing students to experience aging effects firsthand.

Nursing students' perception of digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate programs: A qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Although past research has highlighted the importance of digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate nursing programs, facilitators and barriers to application still need to be systematically understood.

AIM

The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize existing literature reporting on nursing students' experiences with digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate programs to identify gaps and design future educational programs.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative systematic review and reported the following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science databases were searched for studies published in English. Qualitative studies focusing on nursing students' experiences of digital technology in clinical education were included, and data were synthesized by extracting findings, developing categories, and developing synthesized findings.

RESULTS

Six synthesized findings were concluded:1) nature of digital education, 2) facilitators, 3) barriers, 4) benefits to learning, 5) mixed experience, and 6) challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

The systematic review revealed that the utilization of digital technology in clinical practice is beneficial to the learning of undergraduate nursing students. Facilitators and challenges of digital education, as well as barriers to digital education identified in this review can be used to design more effective digital education activities. Digital technology can be used to supplement traditional teaching, and it is worthwhile to explore more in the area of digital education to promote the cultivation of nursing students' competency.

Empowering nursing council implementation science: An appeal to action

BACKGROUND

In most hospitals, nursing councils are responsible for EBP implementation and evaluation. To enhance the perceived value of council participation by frontline nurses, administrators must promote the impact of council projects on healthcare outcomes.

PURPOSE

The purposes of this appeal to action are to describe the role of nursing councils in promoting IS and EBP, and to provide recommendations that enhance the value of IS and/or EBP councils to frontline nurses, thereby incentivizing participation on these councils.

METHODS

Nurse researchers from three metropolitan hospitals partnered with a medical librarian to recommend six strategies aimed at enhancing the perceived value of council participation. An argumentative review was conducted to support these strategies.

DISCUSSION

Recommendations are inclusion of methods experts on councils; support from nursing administrators in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects; formation of partnerships with nursing academic departments; expansion of publication opportunities and availability; and connection of projects to measurable quality indicators.

CONCLUSION

Enhancing the perceived value of nursing councils by providing tools that optimize time and resource management can result in greater council participation and broader dissemination of IS evidence.

Challenges of nursing students during clinical training: A nursing perspective

Clinical training plays a fundamental role in nursing students' acquisition of professional capabilities. This study aimed to explore the perceived challenges nursing students face during clinical training. An explorative cross-sectional study was applied. A proportionate, stratified, random sample was enrolled in the study with inclusive criteria, including nursing students (2nd - 4th year) and interns who attended their internship in regional hospitals. A validated electronic questionnaire was used for data collection, which consisted of three sections and 29 items. The section that focused on the difficulties experienced by nursing students during their practical training included six elements: teachers, healthcare professionals, the students themselves, tasks, time management, and the location of the training. Another section inquired about the students' perspectives on the benefits of clinical training. A three-point "Likert scale" was applied. The findings indicated that mild (24%), moderate (62%), and severe (14%) degree of challenges were perceived by the study participants. The mean score for the total challenges during clinical training was 2.00 ± 0.28, and there were variations in the perceived challenges among grade levels. In conclusion, there are variations in the perceived challenges during clinical training among different grade levels. These challenges were related to teachers, health workers, the students, tasks, the time, and the place. Enhancing the nursing curricula alignment with practical training objectives is recommended, focusing on the development of technical and interpersonal skills with appropriate guidance, alongside positive clinical settings to help nursing students learn and boost their confidence in their approach.

Culture of patient care among international nursing students: a focused ethnographic study

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to describe and explain the culture of patient care in international nursing students.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted using focused ethnography. Participants (n = 21) were purposefully selected from non-Iranian international students and their nursing instructors. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, and field-note taking. Data were analyzed with the Roper and Shapira inductive approach of ethnographic content analysis.

RESULTS

The cultural model of the study included the acquisition of cultural competence through acceptance of differences and finding commonalities. Subcategories were: "avoiding cultural bias", "trying to be on the path of adaptation", "appealing to the support and companionship of colleagues", "coping with culture shock", "acculturation", "getting help from cultural intelligence", "cultural empathy", and "language and communication enhancement".

CONCLUSION

Cultural competence is teachable. The pattern of formation is through accepting differences and searching for commonalities. Suggestions for promoting the culture of care among international students include effective use of peer groups and teaching different national ethnicities and cultures.

Over twenty years of pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice: A bibliometric analysis from 2001 to 2023

AIM

To present a bibliometric overview of pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice from its inception in 2001 up until 2023.

BACKGROUND

Bibliometric methods are useful in analysing and understanding the characteristics of scientific publications in a particular field and the influence of specific journals. However, no bibliometric analysis of a nurse education journal has been undertaken to date which would highlight important research trends in this area of nursing and midwifery.

METHODS

A total of 2231 publications (articles and reviews only) from Nursing Education in Practice were retrieved from the Scopus database between 2001 and 2023. Several software applications including Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer were used to undertake bibliometric analysis on this dataset. Publication trends such as country analysis, author analysis, keywords analyses (cluster, content and trend analysis) were generated to help understand the volume and scope of pedagogical nursing and midwifery research in this journal.

RESULTS

There has been a steady increase in pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice since its launch in 2001 up until 2018, with a dip in publications in 2022 most likely due to the impact of restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The most prolific institutions publishing in the journal are mainly from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, with over eighty countries represented demonstrating its global reach and impact. Nursing students, nursing education, simulation and learning are some of the most frequent author keywords.

CONCLUSION

The diversity of pedagogies in nursing and midwifery education, clinical learning and supervision in practice environments, and competence and confidence when transitioning to practice are the most popular research areas in Nurse Education in Practice. This study informs nurse and midwife educators and scholars about the volume and scope of pedagogical research in nursing and midwifery. It also makes recommendations on how to improve aspects of scholarship in education and areas for future pedagogical research.

Development and Evaluation of Nursing Clinical Practice Education Using M-Learning

This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of nursing practice education using mobile learning or m-learning for nursing students. A nonequivalent control group post-test design was used. Overall, 42 nursing students participated in the study. A three-week nursing practice education program was developed using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. The course was implemented on the basis of Gagne's nine instructional situations. The findings demonstrated improvements in clinical competency (t = 7.44, p < 0.001) and problem solving (t = 2.29, p = 0.028). Accordingly, the study recommends introducing m-learning in nursing practice education using tablet PCs, as part of a newer nursing practicum training strategy that takes into account the factors identified in this study. It is also suggested that a continuous m-learning approach and development plan for nursing students be prepared to achieve technically advanced nursing practice education.

Supporting nursing faculty to teach veteran's care: a mixed method, multi-intervention study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to (a) describe nurse educators' attitudes towards veterans after workshop participation, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop and timed digital interventions (TDI) on nurse educators' integration of veteran-centered content into their courses and curricula, and (c) describe nurse educators' experiences with transferring learning from the workshop to teaching practice.

METHODS

A longitudinal multi-intervention, multi-method pilot study was conducted using pre- and post-workshop surveys and interviews.

RESULTS

Twenty-six nurse faculty reported a neutral attitude toward working with veterans during the pre-workshop survey period. TDIs kept veteran-centered content fresh on faculty minds, yielding evidence of integration into nursing courses.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing faculty preparation and development is crucial to effectively integrate specific veteran care content into nursing education to ensure a competent and culturally sensitive workforce. Integrating TDIs using widely accessible technologies is a cost-effective way of increasing engagement with new information and bridge implementation gaps associated with traditional professional development activities.