Promoting occupational health nursing training: an educational outreach with a blended model of distance and traditional learning approaches

Lapnurse-A Blended Learning Course for Nursing Education in Minimally Invasive Surgery: Design and Experts' Preliminary Validation of Its Online Theoretical Module

Background: The implantation of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) leads to the specialization of nurses in this surgical field. However, there is no standard curriculum of MIS Nursing in Europe. Spanish and Portuguese nurses are inexperienced and have poor training in MIS. For that, a blended learning course for nursing education in MIS (Lapnurse) has been developed. This work aims to detail the course design and to preliminary validate by experts its online theoretical module. Methods: Lapnurse consists of an online module with nine theoretical lessons and a face-to-face module with three practical lessons. The e-learning environment created to provide the online module, with didactic contents based on surgical videos and innovative 3D designs, has been validated by two technicians (functionality) and four nurses with teaching experience in MIS (usability and content). Results: The E-learning platform meets all technical requirements, provides whole and updated multimedia contents correctly applied for educational purposes, incorporates interactivity with 3D designs, and has an attractive, easy-to-use and intuitive design. Conclusions: The lack of knowledge in MIS of Spanish and Portuguese nurses could be addressed by the blended learning course created, Lapnurse, where the e-learning environment that provides theoretical training has obtained a positive validation.

Evaluating Usability in Blended Learning Programs Within Health Professions Education: a Scoping Review

Knowledge was mapped about how usability has been applied in the evaluation of blended learning programs within health professions education. Across 80 studies, usability was explicitly mentioned once but always indirectly evaluated. A conceptual framework was developed, providing a foundation for future instruments to evaluate usability in this context.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01295-x.

Baropodometric evaluation of foot load distribution during gait in the group of professionally active nurses

OBJECTIVES

Nurses are extremely exposed to musculoskeletal overloads. Prolonged standing postural balance distributions, functional deficits and pain may affect the symmetry of the load on the feet. The study aimed to assess the distribution of foot load during gait among nurses.

METHODS

The sample of this prospective and observational study consisted of 37 female nurses with mean age of 39 years. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to evaluate musculoskeletal disturbances and baropodometric gait analysis (BGA) was performed to register distribution of foot load during gait.

RESULTS

We showed that 68% of nurses declare that they know the principles of workplace ergonomics, but only 14% comply with them. NMQ results indicate that as many as 73% of the respondents feel ailments in the "lower back" area. An asymmetry was observed in the load of IV-V of the metatarsal head between the left and right foot (P = .000) and in the load of the left and right lateral part of the heel (P = .028) in the BGA test. Correlations between ailments occurring in the neck area and loading of the lateral arch of the right foot (P = .032) were found. Moreover, the load in this area correlated positively with the occurrence of "lower back" pain (P = .045).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses have asymmetric distribution of foot load during gait, which results in a discrepancy between the loads on the three main support points of the foot and which may affect nurses' work productivity.

The creation of a synchronous learning environment to support a study abroad program for nursing majors at a traditional liberal arts university

In response to an increased need for Spanish-speaking and culturally competent nurses, a small private undergraduate-only liberal arts university implemented a semester-long study abroad program for nursing majors in Barcelona, Spain. Prior to the creation of this program, study abroad for nursing students was limited because of prelicensure requirements and limitations of a traditional nursing curriculum. Students studying in Spain enroll in four courses--including two core nursing courses delivered using Polycom hardware and telepresence software by nursing faculty who remain in the United States, a Spanish language course, and one general education course taught either by the University's Spain Director or by an experienced Spanish professor. Participants live with host families and participate in clinical and community observational experiences in Spanish health care agencies. Students then complete direct patient care requirements upon return to the United States. To our knowledge, no other undergraduate-only institution offers a semester-long study abroad experience for nursing majors embedded within the curriculum using synchronous learning; we believe our Spain program, which is in its fourth year being open to nursing majors, is truly an innovative approach to establish cultural competence for undergraduate nursing majors that could serve as a model for other schools of nursing and health disciplines.

Professional autonomy of occupational health nurses in the United States

Autonomy, the freedom to practice independently and to exercise professional judgment in practice activities, is a central element for professional practice. Numerous articles and studies have reported on professional autonomy in general nursing practice; however, professional autonomy for occupational health nurses has not been explored in depth. This article advances the development of a body of knowledge relative to professional autonomy in the practice of occupational health nursing. This article also provides an overview of professional autonomy in nursing practice; discusses the nature and importance of professional autonomy in the occupational health practice setting; reports findings from a seminal study of occupational health nurse autonomy; and addresses professional autonomy in the context of collaborative practice.

Promoting occupational health nursing training: an educational outreach with a blended model of distance and traditional learning approaches

In 2009, occupational health nursing faculty and professionals at the University of Washington developed an innovative continuing nursing education offering, the OHN Institute. The OHN Institute was designed to meet the following objectives: (1) extend basic occupational health nursing training to non-occupational health nurses in Federal Region X, (2) target new occupational health nurses or those who possessed little or no advanced education in occupational health nursing, and (3) offer a hybrid continuing nursing education program consisting of on-site and distance learning modalities. Evaluation findings suggested that the various continuing nursing education modalities and formats (e.g., asynchronous vs. synchronous, online modules vs. live modules) were essentially comparable in terms of effectiveness. Perhaps most importantly, the OHN Institute evaluation demonstrated that quality continuing nursing education outcomes for occupational health nurses depended largely on knowledgeable and engaging faculty and a compelling vision of desired outcomes, including the application of learned content to professional practice.