MSN perceptions of practice-based problems and research-based interventions

BACKGROUND

Although faculty design Master of Science in Nursing courses to help students acquire knowledge in practice, evidence gaps exist in the literature. The purpose of this study was to describe problems identified by practicing graduate nursing students, match them with themes from the National Institute of Nursing Research, determine if sufficient published literature exists to guide research-based interventions, and identify gaps.

METHOD

Using the National Institute's research themes as the framework, 215 de-identified student papers were selected using two courses-a research methods/biostatistics and an ethics course. The Krippendorff method was used to identify practice-based problems and research-based interventions with gaps in the literature.

DISCUSSION

Students identified pain, sleep difficulties, delirium, falls, hospital-acquired infections, noise, hypothermia, and stress as priority practice-based problems.

CONCLUSION

A lack of clear or administratively enforced clinical guidelines or educational strategies was identified as an area with information gaps in the literature.

Health professions faculty beliefs, confidence, use, and perceptions of organizational culture and readiness for EBP: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential skill and ethical obligation for all practicing health professions clinicians because of its strong association with improved health outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that faculty who prepare these clinicians lack proficiency to teach EBP.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to describe; 1) health profession faculty beliefs about and confidence in their ability to teach and implement EBP, 2) use of EBP for education, 3) organizational culture and readiness for EBP; and to determine whether relationships exist among these variables.

DESIGN

This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive survey design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

College of Nursing (CON) and College of Health Professions (CHP) faculty from a university located in the Northeast, United States. Faculty were defined as anyone teaching a course for the CON or CHP during the fall of 2016.

METHODS

Faculty were invited to complete an electronic survey measuring EBP beliefs, EBP use, and EBP organizational culture and readiness. The survey was comprised of three tools developed specifically for health professions educators in 2010 by Fineout-Overholt & Melnyk.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine faculty returned usable surveys (25.5% response rate). Mean EBP beliefs score was 89.49 (SD = 10.94) indicating respondents had a firm belief in and confidence in their ability to implement and teach EBP. Mean EBP use was 32.02 (SD = 20.59) indicating that respondents taught and implemented EBP between 1 and 3 times in the last 8-weeks. Mean EBP culture and readiness score was 90.20 (SD = 15.23) indicating essential movement toward a sustainable culture of college-wide integration of EBP. Mean scores for beliefs/confidence were higher for full-time clinical faculty compared to other groups [F_{(2, 55)} = 0.075, p = 0.928; ηp² = 0.003)]. Adjunct faculty reported higher EBP behaviors expected by health profession educators in the last 8-weeks compared to other groups [F_{(2, 55)} = 0.251, p = 0.779; ηp². =0.009)]. Adjunct faculty had the highest mean scores on OCRSIEP-E followed by full-time clinical faculty. These group differences in OCRSIEP-E were statistically significant [F_{(2, 49)} = 7.92, p = 0.001; ηp² = 0.244)]. OCRSIEP-E was significantly different between full-time tenure/tenure track faculty (M = 78.0, SD = 12.58) and full-time clinical faculty (M = 91.37, SD = 14.79, p = 0.027) and between full-time tenure/tenure track faculty and adjunct faculty (M = 97.19, SD = 12.39, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Faculty adoption of EBP as a foundational pillar of teaching is essential. Research is needed to define the scope of the problem internationally. Organizations need to set standards for faculty teaching in the health professions to be EBP proficient. Programs preparing faculty to teach in nursing and other health professions must include educator EBP competencies.

Expert patient illness narratives as a teaching methodology: A mixed method study of student nurses satisfaction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate nursing students' satisfaction with Expert Patient Illness Narratives as a teaching and learning methodology based on patient involvement.

METHODS AND DESIGN

Mixed methods were used in this study: online survey with quantitative and qualitative items designed by researchers.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-four nursing students of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, attending a Medical Anthropology elective course.

RESULTS

Women more frequently considered that the new learning methodology was useful in developing the competency "to reason to reason the presence of the triad Health-Illness-Care in all the groups, societies and historical moments" (p-value=0.02) and in that it was consolidated as a learning outcome (p-value=0.022). On the other hand, men considered that this methodology facilitated the development of critical thinking (p=0.01) and the ability to identify normalized or deviant care situations (p=0.007). Students recognized the value of Expert Patient Illness Narratives in their nursing training as a way to acquire new nursing skills and broaden previously acquired knowledge. This educational innovation improved nursing skills and provided a different and richer perspective of humanization of care.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study demonstrate that nursing students found Expert Patient Illness Narratives satisfactory as a learning and teaching methodology, and reported improvement in different areas of their training and also the integration of new knowledge, meaning, theory applicability, as well las critical and reflective thinking. Involvement of patients as storytellers also provides a new humanizing perspective of care. Nonetheless, further studies of Expert Patient Illness Narratives are needed in order to improve its benefits as a teaching and learning methodology.