Integrating information literacies into an undergraduate nursing programme

Supporting the development of information literacy skills and knowledge in undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review

BACKGROUND

Undergraduate nursing students have the opportunity to develop information literacy skills while at university so they can work effectively in an increasingly information-intensive clinical environment. This can be achieved through learning how to effectively search for required information, critically evaluate it, apply and reference it. Librarians working in academic libraries can assist with this essential skill development through library instruction, delivery and support.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this integrative review was to undertake an analysis of the peer-reviewed research in the context of library instruction programs delivered in undergraduate nursing courses. A synthesis of the key themes was also undertaken.

METHODS

This paper takes the form of an integrative review. Four library databases were systematically searched for research articles investigating 'library instruction' within 'undergraduate nursing' courses. The search strategy was based on synonyms for these two concepts.

RESULTS

A total of 26 articles based on 25 studies were identified for review. Research was undertaken in a number of different countries with the most being in the United States of America (8). Total participants were 2820 nursing students. Sixteen of the studies were a quantitative approach, three were qualitative and six were mixed methods. A range of data collection methods were used that included surveys, interviews, focus groups and an observational study. One study was a randomised controlled trial and one used a mixed methods final year thesis analysis. The year level of participants varied with most being in the first year of their course (12 studies). Six studies were a mix of year levels. The four key inter-related themes identified were: collaboration, course-integration, linking to assessments, and confidence.

CONCLUSION

There is evidence to suggest a positive relationship between library instruction and information literacy skill development. Sustained training and support across year levels provides the opportunity for positive student outcomes.

Thinking and Reading like a Scientist: Librarians as Facilitators of Primary Literature Literacy

Students entering graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields or professional degree programs in the health sciences are expected to have adequate academic preparation in science process skills like the ability to read primary literature effectively. This column scrutinizes this assumption by examining how science is taught to undergraduates, finding that undergraduate STEM curricula rarely prepare students with the mastery of science process skills needed to succeed in graduate school. The column discusses some possible causes of this skill gap and suggests that academic and medical librarians are well-equipped to help students develop primary literature literacy skills. The column closes with a list of practical active reading strategies that librarians can share and model for students.

Developing occupational therapy students' information and historical literacy competencies: an interprofessional collaborative project

OBJECTIVE

The study examined the efficacy of an interprofessional information and historical literacy project implemented by an occupational therapy educator and a librarian.

METHODS

A graduate course was revised to include information and historical literacy objectives and instruction. A course-specific questionnaire administered on the first and last day of class, assignment grades, and course evaluations provided measures of project outcomes for six years. Differences between questionnaire pre- and post-test means were determined using t-tests. Course evaluation comments were analyzed to obtain qualitative perceptions.

RESULTS

A significant difference (p<0.0001) was found between pre-test (M=3.93, SD=0.48) and post-test (M=4.67, SD=0.30) scores of total information and historical literacy competence across all years (n=242). Responses to individual items also differed significantly (p<0.0001). Student ratings (n=189) from the course evaluation historical literacy objectives were high (M=4.6 on a 5-point scale). Assignment quality and grades improved, and course evaluation comments reflected student satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings supported the hypothesis that students' self-reported information and historical literacy competencies would increase after project participation. Acquired skills were evident in students' assignments. Research to determine if these capabilities were used post-graduation is needed. Because this was a course-specific project, findings are not generalizable; however, the instructional methods developed for this project can serve as a model for effective interprofessional collaboration. The broadening of information literacy instruction to include discipline-specific historical literacy provides a unique opportunity for health sciences librarians and educators. Developing students' historical literacy in their chosen fields can help them understand their profession's present status and be informed participants in shaping its future.

Evaluation of nursing students’ knowledge, understanding and readiness to practice e-health

A questionnaire focusing on the attitudes and perceptions of nursing students towards e-health was distributed to second year undergraduate nursing students at the University of Queensland. Of the 60 surveys distributed, 56 surveys were completed and returned (93% response rate). Forty-three respondents (77%) were not familiar with the term e-health. Forty-six (82%) rated their knowledge of e-health technologies as minimal. Twenty-two (39%) responded that the main barrier for them to improve their knowledge and skills in e-health was the lack of systematic education and training. Despite the fact that the majority of respondents reported computer and Internet use on a daily basis, their awareness and knowledge with regards to e-health was very limited. If e-health is to become a mainstream activity in the health sector, it is important that students are provided with formal e-health education to develop new skills and experience in this specialist field.

Developing an “experience framework” for an evidence-based information literacy educational intervention

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe how an “experience framework” for an evidence-based information literacy educational intervention can be formulated.

Design/methodology/approach

– The experience framework is developed by applying the qualitative methodology phenomenography to the analysis of the variation in the experience of a phenomenon by a target group, making specific use of one of its data analysis methods, that pioneered by Gerlese Akerlind. A phenomenographic study’s descriptions of the limited but related experiences of the phenomenon, and the detail of context and complexity in experience achieved through the Akerlind data analysis technique, are essential to a framework’s structure and educationally valuable richness of detail.

Findings

– The “experience framework”, an example of which is set out in this paper, is formed from a detailed range of contexts, forms and levels of complexity of experience of a phenomenon, such as information literacy, in a group or profession. Groupings of aspects of that experience are used to formulate, through the application of variation theory, an education theory developed from previous phenomenographic research, learning contexts and aims which can form the focus of educational activities.

Originality/value

– The framework can be used to form the basis of an evidence-based educational intervention to enrich the experience of any concept within LIS that Information professionals work to develop in their users.

A phenomenographic investigation into Information Literacy in nursing practice - preliminary findings and methodological issues

BACKGROUND

Information Literacy is essential to 'evidence-based practice'; without the ability to locate evidence, evidence-based practice is rendered extremely difficult if not impossible. There is currently little evidence to show how Information Literacy is experienced by nurses or what its parameters are within evidence-based practice and therefore whether Information Literacy educational interventions are actually promoting the correct knowledge and skills.

OBJECTIVE, DESIGN AND METHODS

Using phenomenographic interviews the author will attempt to discover how nurses experience Information Literacy. Insights from the findings will be used to map out its parameters and to put forward a theoretical model for a course or module to develop it effectively.

RESULTS

This article presents preliminary findings, including 7 draft categories of description of how Information Literacy is experienced in nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study indicates that the complete findings may be of significant potential value in the promotion and development of Information Literacy education in nursing. It is argued that such insights into how nurses actually experience the phenomenon of Information Literacy can be used to develop potentially more effective, research-based, educational interventions.

Developing information literacy skills in pre-registration nurses: an experimental study of teaching methods

AIM

To compare the effectiveness of an online information literacy tutorial with a face-to-face session for teaching information literacy skills to nurses.

DESIGN

Randomised control trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-seven first year undergraduate pre-registration diploma nursing students.

INTERVENTION

Online in-house information literacy tutorial

COMPARISON

One hour face-to-face session, covering the same material as the intervention, delivered by the nursing subject librarian.

METHODS

Search histories were scored using a validated checklist covering keyword selection, boolean operators, truncation and synonyms. Skills retention was measured at 1 month using the same checklist. Inferential statistics were used to compare search skills within and between groups pre and post-session.

RESULTS

The searching skills of first year pre-registration nursing students improve following information literacy sessions (p<0.001), and remain unchanged 1 month later, regardless of teaching method. The two methods produce a comparable improvement (p=0.263). There is no improvement or degradation of skills 1 month post-session for either method (p=0.216).

CONCLUSION

Nurses Information literacy skills improve after both face-to-face and online instruction. There is no skills degradation at 1 month post-intervention for either method.

Integrating evidence-based practice and information literacy skills in teaching physical and occupational therapy students

BACKGROUND

To ensure that physical and occupational therapy graduates develop evidence-based practice (EBP) competencies, their academic training must promote EBP skills, such as posing a clinical question and retrieving relevant literature, and the information literacy skills needed to practice these EBP skills.

OBJECTIVE

This article describes the collaborative process and outcome of integrating EBP and information literacy early in a professional physical therapy and occupational therapy programme.

METHODS

The liaison librarian and a faculty member designed an instructional activity that included a lecture, workshop and assignment that integrated EBP skills and information literacy skills in the first year of the programme. The assignment was designed to assess students' ability to conduct a search independently.

RESULTS

The lecture and workshop were successful in their objectives, as 101 of the 104 students received at least 8 out of 10 points on the search assignment.

CONCLUSIONS

The teaching activities developed for the students in this course appear to have achieved the goal of teaching students the EBP research cycle so that they might begin to emulate it. The collaboration between the faculty member and the librarian was integral to the success of this endeavour. Future work will include the evaluation of students' long-term retention of information literacy objectives.

The transferability of information and communication technology skills from university to the workplace: a qualitative descriptive study

AIM

This paper presents the findings from a study that explored whether the information and communication technology (ICT) skills nurses acquired at university are relevant and transferable to contemporary practice environments.

BACKGROUND

Whilst universities have attempted to integrate information and communication technology into nursing curricula it is not known whether the skills developed for educational purposes are relevant or transferable to clinical contexts.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study was used to explore the perspectives of a small group of new graduate nurses working in a regional/semi-metropolitan healthcare facility in New South Wales, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were used and the data thematically analysed.

FINDINGS

The themes that emerged from the study are presented in accordance with the conceptual framework and structured under the three headings of pre-transfer, transition and post-transfer. The transferability of information and communication technology skills from university to the workplace is impacted by a range of educational, individual, organisational and contextual factors.

CONCLUSION

Access to adequate ICT and the necessary training opportunities influences new graduates' work satisfaction and their future employment decisions. The ability to effectively use information and communication technology was viewed as essential to the provision of quality patient care.

Leveraging change to integrate library and informatics competencies into a new CTSC curriculum: a program evaluation

This program evaluation reports on the curricular development and integration of library, biomedical informatics, and scholarly communications (LBS) skills into a required informatics course for a new graduate degree program in the University of New Mexico's Clinical and Translational Sciences Center (CTSC). The course built on the opportunity presented by the new degree program to integrate LBS competencies rarely included in most traditional clinical research training programs. This report tracks the experiences and evaluations of two cohorts of graduate students who have completed the course. This article presents lessons learned on curricular integration and offers thoughts for future work.

Introducing information literacy into anesthesia curricula

PURPOSE

This review examines the topic of information literacy (IL) and its importance as a component of competency-based education in the health professions, and shares the process and outcome of a collaborative effort between The University of Manitoba Department of Anesthesia and Health Sciences Libraries to create, to introduce and integrate IL training into a new anesthesia curriculum.

PRINCIPLE FINDINGS

Nine IL modules were developed according to standards set by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and aligned with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons CanMEDS competencies. Taken collectively, they explore modern tools used to approach the medical literature in an organized, efficient manner, and to locate, evaluate and use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. Each module forms the basis of one IL session that combines self-study and group projects with librarian-led, computer-based training, designed to build competency in information need awareness, retrieval skills and resource appraisal. Facility with the concepts taught was evaluated though examples relevant to the anesthesia practice environment. The entire collection is available at http://wiki.lib.umanitoba.ca/tiki-index.php?page=Anesthesia+Clinical+Assistants+Programme. While the original impetus for this project was to prepare Anesthesia Clinical Assistants for self-directed, life-long, active learning, what emerged was a curriculum in IL germane to medical specialties and flexible enough to be used by healthcare professions generally.

CONCLUSION

An IL program, directly relevant to current expectations of competent practice, education and lifelong learning, has been created and is discussed within the larger context of curriculum-integrated IL for the health professions.

A curricular approach to improve the information literacy and academic writing skills of part-time post-registration nursing students in Hong Kong

In today's environment of rapidly changing health care and information technology, nurses require a broad range of skills. One of the key skills required of all health professionals in this environment is information literacy. For registered nurses returning to a university setting to study for their baccalaureate degree, becoming information literate is one of many challenges they face. Also key to students' ability to use and communicate information in an appropriate and effective manner is their writing skills. This article describes a curricular intervention designed to develop and strengthen post-registration nurses' information literacy and academic writing competencies. An introductory information management module was developed and provided to three successive cohorts of students (n=159). Students were predominantly female (85.4%) with a mean age of 34.2 years (SD=6.8). Prior to commencing the program, students reported low information literacy and writing skills, especially in accessing and searching electronic databases and using referencing formats. The post-test evaluation of skills showed substantial and statistically significant increases in all assessed competencies. This intervention demonstrated that with structured but flexible learning activities early in the curriculum, post-registration nursing students can quickly become information literate.

Information Literacy: Developing Lifelong Skills Through Nursing Education

The amount and complexity of information nurses are expected to manage continues to increase exponentially. Support has grown for integrated curriculum approaches that include appropriate content on the use of a variety of information formats and instruction using resource-based and process methods. Such teaching-learning approaches demand a major shift in educational paradigms and encompass resource-based learning, undergraduate research, service learning, inquiry learning, and problem-based learning. The implementation of an integrated curriculum promises advanced information skills, access, and use of available evidence to support clinical decision making and a foundation for lifetime learning. In this article, we argue that for information literacy to be enhanced, collaboration between teaching faculty and librarians must be fostered in meaningful ways. We report on the rationale of an integrated curriculum, changes to nursing education, and obstacles to the development and application of advanced information skills that exist within higher education and clinical settings.

Evidence-Based Resources and the Role of Librarians in Developing Evidence-Based Practice Curricula

The implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) requires acquisition and use of a complex set of skills, including the ability to locate and critically evaluate clinically relevant research literature. In this article, we discuss information resources and tools that may be of value to educators faced with the task of teaching students to search for and evaluate research-based evidence. In addition, we discuss how health sciences librarians, with the use of new models of information instruction and delivery, can work with nursing faculty in developing curricula for training students in EBP.

Examination of the impact of information-skills training on the academic work of health-studies students: a single case study

AIM

To examine the impact of information-skills training on the academic studies of student midwives. Objectives include ascertaining whether student confidence increases, learning experiences are enhanced and academic standards are improved.

METHODS

A student midwives' discussion group at a higher education institution, plus an in-depth interview with the students' course leader.

RESULTS

Students reported increased confidence in using library and information resources. Appropriate and timely information-skills training embedded into health-studies curricula can lead to students becoming independent and lifelong learners, as well as improving the standard of their academic work.

CONCLUSION

Information skills for health-studies curricula in higher education can be developed and delivered collaboratively by both library and academic staff. This can have very positive effects on both student perceptions and experiences and standards of teaching and learning.

Developing information literacy skills in nursing and rehabilitation therapy students

The environment in which nurses and rehabilitation therapists practice is rapidly evolving, resulting in changes in the skill sets and competencies required of new graduates. Evidence-based practice models, for example, require that entry-level nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists have the ability to identify, locate, and critically appraise research findings. This paper will describe curriculum-integrated, for-credit information literacy programs developed by the authors in collaboration with faculty members from the Schools of Nursing and Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. The short-term goal of these programs is to teach undergraduate and graduate students advanced search strategy skills and critical appraisal techniques that will enable them to explore the implications of their literature findings. The long-term goal is to graduate practitioners who not only will have the skills to practice evidence-based health care but also will participate in scholarly activities and thus contribute to the evidence base in their disciplines.

Developing information literacy: a key to evidence-based nursing

This report describes the evaluation of a curriculum-integrated programme designed to help students develop an awareness of the nursing literature, the skills to locate and retrieve it, and skills required in its evaluation; in other words'information literacy'. Positive changes in student performance on objective measures of information-literacy skills were revealed as well as a significant increase in the levels of confidence of the student in performing those skills. Students who had undertaken the information-literacy programme ('programme' students) performed better on a range of objective measures of information literacy, as well as reporting higher levels of confidence in these skills, than students who had not participated in the programme ('non-programme' students). Evaluation of this programme provides evidence of the potential usefulness of a curriculum-integrated approach for the development of information-literacy skills within nursing education. With these underlying skills, students will be better equipped to consolidate and extend their key information-literacy skills to include research appreciation and application. These are vital for effective lifelong learning and a prerequisite to evidence-based practice.

Teaching information literacy skills: an evaluation

This paper describes an evaluation of a curriculum-integrated information literacy programme in an undergraduate nursing course. The aim of the programme was to provide students with an awareness of the discipline's literature and the skills to locate and retrieve the literature. A multidimensional process for determining nursing students' development was utilised in the evaluation of the programme. Pre- and post-programme questionnaires were distributed to a cohort of students who undertook the programme. A cohort of more senior students who had not undertaken the information literacy programme was utilised as a comparison group. Questionnaire results were analysed using a range of inferential statistics. This paper will focus on two main findings related to objective measures of information literacy skills. These include pre-programme/post-programme change in student performance and differences in student performance between those who undertook the programme and those who did not. The programme demonstrated its effectiveness in developing information literacy skills, however the challenge remains for both academics and students to ensure that these skills are consolidated and extended for effective life-long learning.