Development of a Midwifery Student Peer Debriefing Tool: An interpretive descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial traumatisation associated with giving birth, can occur in those present with the woman giving birth, a phenomenon known as vicarious trauma. It has been identified that there are currently no interventions available for midwifery students who have experienced vicarious trauma following difficult birth experiences.

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether the counselling intervention developed by Gamble et al. (2005), can be adapted for midwifery students to be appropriately and feasibly used as a counselling intervention with peers who have experienced midwifery practice-related vicarious trauma.

DESIGN

Interpretive descriptive methodology.

SETTING

This study was set at two Australian universities from which pre-registration midwifery courses are delivered.

PARTICIPANTS

The work of reviewing the original tool and adapting it for use by and with midwifery students associated with this project was conducted by a key stakeholder group of seven representative midwifery students and five midwifery academics.

METHODS

Ethics were approved. Data were collected via one face to face and two online conversations using the Microsoft Teams™ platform. Reflexive Thematic analysis were applied to revise the tool following each round of data collection and to finalise the adaptation of the intervention for its new intended purpose.

RESULTS

The Midwifery Student Peer Debriefing Tool is presented as a six-step intervention that guides the midwifery student through a process of debriefing with their peer. The feasibility of the tool resulted in an overarching theme labelled "I want this to mean something" and captures the therapeutic power of peer debriefing toward a meaningful outcome that fostered growth, and a deeper understanding of the profession.

CONCLUSION

Vicarious trauma is widely recognised as a core reason for midwives and midwifery students leaving the workforce. The peer debriefing tool helps midwifery students move through the process of recovering from adversity but also fostered learnings about midwifery practice and the profession.

Rumination, psychological capital and academic procrastination among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Academic procrastination is common among college students, which affects their learning status and even their physical and mental health. Rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination are closely related, but for nursing students, there are few studies reporting on their levels and relationships.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination among nursing students, and examine the mediating role of psychological capital in rumination and academic procrastination.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study sampled three medical colleges in Sichuan Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sampling method was used to select 556 nursing students from April to June 2023.

METHODS

556 nursing students were asked to complete questionnaires regarding social-demographic information, rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation model were used in this study.

RESULTS

The scores of rumination, psychological capital, and academic procrastination among nursing students were 46.08 ± 13.61, 108.28 ± 19.50 and 55.32 ± 12.30, respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling showed that psychological capital mediated the relationship between rumination and academic procrastination with the partial mediating effect of 0.425.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that nursing students exhibit moderate levels of rumination, psychological capital and academic procrastination. Moreover, rumination can not only directly affect academic procrastination, but also indirectly through psychological capital. Nursing educators should strengthen their attention to the mental health and learning status of nursing students, take measures to help them adapt to campus life, alleviate rumination, enrich psychological capital, and reduce the risk of academic procrastination.

Perspectives on self-directed learning in bioscience in nurse education - An integrative review

OBJECTIVES

There is a lack of synthesized knowledge on nursing students self-directed learning in bioscience and how to best support students' learning in this subject. The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize current literature on perspectives on self-directed learning among nursing students studying bioscience to guide further research aiming to support students' learning more effectively.

METHODS

An integrative review in line with Whittemore & Knafl's modified framework containing five stages: problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation. A structured literature search was undertaken in the Web of Science, ERIC, Medline and CINAHL databases from November 2022 to January 2023. The inclusion criteria were nursing students enrolled in a bachelor programme, research addressing activities intended for learning bioscience, in addition to formal taught lectures and perspectives on self-directed learning in natural science subjects within nurse education such as views, actions, activities, habits and attitudes. Exclusion criteria were students in other education programs, research in formal learning contexts, and self-directed learning in other subjects than natural science subjects. Rigour of each included source was assessed using Whittemore & Knafl's suggested 2-point scale (high or low). A constant comparison method was used to synthesize results.

RESULTS

Of the initial 1143 sources, 12 articles were included after abstract and full-text screening: one pilot study for randomized controlled trial, one qualitative study, two mixed methods studies and eight quantitative studies. The sample size was from 23 to 563 participants.

DISCUSSION

This review identifies self-directed learning in bioscience understood as a continuum of teacher-directedness and self-directedness rather than as distinguished orientations. There seem to be no consistent definition of self-directed learning in bioscience, yet descriptions commonly imply metacognitive learning approaches. Nursing students value digital learning resources, yet technology might be secondary to the skill of self-directed learning.

Experiences of nursing students providing end of life care for children and young people: A focus group study

BACKGROUND

End of life care for Children and Young People (CYP) is known to be an emotive area of practice. Previous studies involving qualified nurses have demonstrated that nurses feel they need more end-of-life care education, as well as a platform for sharing experiences and discussing them with others. Evidence relating to nursing students remains limited despite being widely acknowledged as a difficult aspect of nursing education.

AIMS

This study aims to help improve understanding of the lived experiences of children's nursing students who have cared for a patient at, during, or immediately following end-of-life. The study describes the emotions experienced by children's nursing students and explores the student nurses' perceptions of education and support needs around caring for CYP during end-of-life care.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative inquiry methodology allowed for a pragmatic approach to design this focus group study. Nine undergraduate student children's nurses participated in two focus groups. Ethical approval was granted by the host university. Thematic data analysis using Braun and Clarke's (2019) thematic analysis was conducted.

FINDINGS

Six themes emerged from the data; Emotional practice (1), the heart of the care (2), a lasting impact (3), hierarchy of grief (4), experience, knowledge and understanding (5), and the value of support (6). End of life care for children and young people is recognised by students as a sad but important part of the job role, which can have a lasting impact and which students required improved education and support for.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Improved education on end-of-life care is required. This should be introduced early, encompassing practical approaches to the varied nature of end-of-life care, normalising a range of emotions and delayed responses. Furthermore, improved support is required for both student nurses and qualified staff, who are supporting students caring for CYP at the end of life.

Methods of Teaching Transgender Health in Undergraduate Nursing Programs: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Transgender populations experience disproportionately higher rates of mental and physical health issues such as suicidality and heart disease than their cisgender counterparts. Education of health professions students and providers is recognized as an effective method in mitigating transgender health disparities.

PURPOSE

This narrative review investigated the methods in which transgender health is taught in undergraduate nursing programs. Suggestions for optimizing transgender health education are presented.

METHOD

This review critically appraised and synthesized 28 articles that met these inclusion criteria: articles in English describing teaching strategies used in transgender health education with samples that include undergraduate nursing students.

RESULTS

Didactic lecture is the most widely used method, followed by role-play simulation, use of film and video, guest presentation, and high-fidelity and standardized patient simulation.

CONCLUSION

Lectures remain the dominant method of delivering transgender health content. Improvements in students' knowledge and attitude related to transgender care were noted posteducation.

Giving Life to Learning Through Rural Maternal Health Immersion Experiences

BACKGROUND

Recruiting, retaining, and educating nursing students is essential to meet the growing need for nurses in rural communities. A nursing school enhanced its prelicensure education in rural and public health nursing, and interprofessional care by expanding experiential learning opportunities.

PURPOSE

To describe longitudinal community health-based rural immersion experiences for prelicensure nursing students.

METHODS

A prospective, correlational design evaluated students' knowledge and confidence in understanding rural characteristics, confidence in achieving public health nursing, and interprofessional education competencies.

RESULTS

Fourteen prelicensure nursing students participated in rural maternal health immersion experiences and reported being more confident (21/27 items) than knowledgeable (18/27) in understanding rural characteristics. Over 85% reported competency in interprofessional interactions, and there was a significant difference in confidence in achieving public health nursing competencies between the beginning and end of the immersion.

CONCLUSION

Using immersion experiences may be effective in enhancing students' knowledge, confidence, and competency in rural and public health, and interprofessional care.

Evaluating a Shared Reflective Practice to Develop Nursing Student Clinical Judgment

BACKGROUND

Self-reflection is a valuable method that nurse educators can use to develop clinical judgment skills among prelicensure nursing students. Little research exists on improving clinical judgment in second-degree nursing students in the clinical setting.

PURPOSE

To determine the implications of increasing clinical judgment skills in prelicensure nursing students using a shared structured reflection teaching innovation within a required baccalaureate clinical course.

METHODS

This educational innovation used qualitative descriptive methods to evaluate its effectiveness in the clinical setting among students in the final semester of an accelerated prelicensure nursing program.

RESULTS

Students reported increased accountability for their learning, a sense of intentionality with their nursing practice, and a deeper sense of community with their peers.

CONCLUSIONS

Shared reflective practices in the clinical setting show promise for increasing clinical judgment and supporting a competency-based curriculum.

UK student midwives' theoretical knowledge, confidence, and experience of intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart rate during labour: An online cross-sectional survey

AIM

This study aimed to explore student midwives' theoretical knowledge of intrapartum intermittent auscultation, their confidence in, and their experience of this mode of fetal monitoring.

DESIGN AND SETTING

An online cross-section survey with closed and open questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse participants' intermittent auscultation knowledge, confidence, and experience. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the free text about participants' experiences.

PARTICIPANTS

Undergraduate midwifery students (n = 303) from Nursing and Midwifery Council-approved educational institutions within the United Kingdom.

FINDINGS

Most participants demonstrated good theoretical knowledge. They had witnessed the technique being used in clinical practice, and when performed, the practice was reported to be in line with national guidance. In closed questions, participants reported feeling confident in their intermittent auscultation skills; however, these data contrasted with free-text responses.

CONCLUSION

This cross-sectional survey found that student midwives possess adequate knowledge of intermittent auscultation. However, reflecting individual clinical experiences, their confidence in their ability to perform intermittent auscultation varied. A lack of opportunity to practice intermittent auscultation, organisational culture, and midwives' preferences have caused student midwives to question their capabilities with this essential clinical skill, leaving some with doubt about their competency close to registration.

Evaluating and Addressing the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Climate in a School of Nursing

BACKGROUND

There is a critical need to prepare a diverse nursing workforce and address issues of structural racism and health inequities.

PROBLEM

A shortage of underrepresented nurse faculty exacerbates the lack of diversity in nursing education. Microaggressions and discrimination experienced by underrepresented nursing students hinder their personal and professional growth. Evaluating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and belonging within a school of nursing is crucial for progress.

APPROACH

An alumni survey and a faculty/staff survey were conducted to assess DEI perceptions, which informed the development of a strategic plan. Goals focused on monitoring the cultural climate, increasing diversity and inclusivity, and enhancing faculty competencies. Educational offerings and initiatives were implemented to support these goals.

OUTCOMES

Ongoing evaluation is essential to sustain progress in this critical area.

CONCLUSION

These efforts are necessary for sustainable progress and equitable care provision.

Impact of Nursing Clinical Elective Courses on New Graduate Nurses' Clinical Practice: A Mixed-Methods Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Clinical elective courses provide additional specialty knowledge for prelicensure nursing students; however, it is unknown how these courses impact nurses' clinical practice after graduation.

PURPOSE

To describe how clinical nursing electives impact graduates' clinical practice.

METHODS

A mixed-methods descriptive design was used. Students who graduated from a prelicensure nursing program were sent an electronic survey and participated in qualitative interviews.

RESULTS

Thirty-three graduates completed the survey, with 9 participating in interviews. Sixteen graduates worked in the clinical practice areas that were the same, or related to, the clinical elective they took. Many graduates felt that taking the elective course improved their confidence in the clinical setting and provided increased knowledge that put them at an advantage over their peers.

CONCLUSION

Clinical electives may offer a means to meet health care system needs by preparing a more confident, knowledgeable new graduate in specialty areas in which nurses are needed most.

Learning Environments in Undergraduate Nursing Education During COVID-19: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed nursing education.

PURPOSE

To map the existing literature on learning environments (LEs) in undergraduate nursing education during COVID-19 and identify the LE elements based on the 4 domains of Gruppen's conceptual framework: personal, social, organizational, and physical and virtual spaces.

METHOD

Eligible articles were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs framework.

RESULTS

The search retrieved 5003 articles, of which 80 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in the United States. Of the studies included, 68 studies focused on the personal component of students, 67 investigated physical and virtual space components, 19 examined the social domain, and 15 examined organizational aspects.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced the LE of nursing students. Based on the current review of LE in nursing education, nurse educators and researchers can develop interventions to maintain the quality and accessibility of nursing education in future crises.

Factors Affecting Nursing Students' Reflective Thinking During Simulation Debriefing

BACKGROUND

Although reflective thinking is regarded as an important learning aspect of debriefing, the factors that can affect reflective thinking during simulation debriefing remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify factors affecting reflective thinking during simulation debriefing among nursing students.

METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design with a convenience sample of 198 Korean nursing students. Participants completed a structured web-based self-administered questionnaire regarding the reflective learning continuum, psychological safety, learner communications skills, and debriefing process design. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify the factors affecting reflective thinking.

RESULTS

Significant factors were debriefing process design, learner communication skills, student-to-student interactions, and instructor-to-student interactions. Psychological safety did not affect the reflective thinking of nursing students.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse educators should design and implement strategies to maintain effective debriefing processes, improve communication skills, and facilitate student-to-student and instructor-to-student interactions to promote reflective thinking during simulation debriefing.

Systematic Review on Characteristics and Effects of Leadership Development Interventions for Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Effective nursing leadership improves health care quality, patient well-being, and nursing staff outcomes. Newly graduated nurses face challenges in transitioning into leadership roles. Thus, examining the leadership development interventions for nursing students is critical.

PURPOSE

This systematic review examined the characteristics and effectiveness of leadership development interventions designed for and implemented with undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

A comprehensive search covered Scopus, CINAHL Ultimate, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, WOS Core Collection, Journals@Ovid, JSTOR Journals, and ERIC databases. Included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

The final review comprised 19 studies showcasing positive impacts on leadership development. The interventions varied in leadership approach, design and content, structure, qualifications, student involvement, and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Leadership development interventions are effective in enhancing nursing students' leadership. Nevertheless, future interventions should prioritize well-structured content, and studies must incorporate robust methodologies.

Aligning Simulation-Based Education With Didactic Learning in Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Education

BACKGROUND

Research has shown there is a gap between academia and practice. Nursing stakeholders support the use of the clinical judgment model in developing competency for practice.

PURPOSE

This study analyzed the effectiveness of simulation-based education on the development of clinical judgment and explored new graduate nurses' perceptions of their preparation for practice.

METHODS

A longitudinal, explanatory, mixed-methods design with survey points at onset and end of the intervention and interviews 6 months postgraduation.

RESULTS

The Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified (SET-M) was utilized for the pre- and posttest surveys. Two-tailed Mann-Whitney 2-sample rank sum tests were conducted and analyzed for all items on the SET-M. Significant differences were seen in pre- and posttest responses for 12 of the 19 SET-M survey items.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study support the deliberate alignment of didactic and practical teaching strategies to strengthen practice performance and bridge the gap.

Reverse Mentoring in Nursing Education

BACKGROUND

Nurse educators are challenged to prepare an expanding number of diverse students with various sociocultural and generational differences. Whether diversity, sociocultural, and/or generational divides are contributory, a perennial decline exists of historically disenfranchised students finishing nursing programs. Reverse mentoring is an innovative adaption of traditional mentoring. Reverse mentoring is a practice that reverses traditional mentor and mentee roles, which may mitigate diverse and intergenerational misconceptions.

PURPOSE

To prepare a diverse nursing workforce, educators should integrate strategies to embrace differences, reduce biases, remove learning barriers, and value learning new teaching methods.

METHODS

A literature review revealed few articles on reverse mentoring in nursing education.

RESULTS

Reverse mentoring is a successful strategy in many Fortune 500 companies. Therefore, reverse mentoring may demonstrate promise in nursing education.

CONCLUSION

Exploring reverse mentoring in nursing education may reveal strategies to elucidate and mitigate biases and barriers in nursing education.

Maintaining and Enhancing Nursing Students' Pharmacology Knowledge to Improve Patient Safety

BACKGROUND

Nurses play a vital role in the medication administration process and are frequently involved in adverse drug events (ADEs). One identified cause of ADEs is lack of pharmacology knowledge received during their training and/or failure to maintain this core information: the latter cause has been described as skill decay.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an online pharmacology review program to maintain and/or improve nursing students' pharmacology knowledge, thus decreasing skill decay over the school's summer break.

METHODS

Nursing students enrolled in a 4-year BSN program participated in a virtual pharmacology knowledge review program consisting of a pretest survey, learning modules, quizzes, and a final posttest survey.

RESULTS

Comparisons showed statistical significance in test score improvement from pretest to posttest.

CONCLUSIONS

This project demonstrates that a review program can enhance nursing students' pharmacology knowledge throughout their summer break. It adds to the limited data about the need for pharmacology programs to decrease skill decay.

Promoting Nursing Student Mental Health Wellness: The Impact of Resilience-Building and Faculty Support

BACKGROUND

Being aware of elevated levels of student psychological distress by nursing faculty, and subsequently responding to it, may diminish nursing students' experience of negative mental health well-being.

PURPOSE

Relationships between perceived faculty support, resiliency, and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among undergraduate nursing students were explored.

METHODS

An exploratory mixed-methods design was used for this descriptive, cross-sectional study. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, Brief Resilience Scale, Perceived Faculty Support Scale, a demographic questionnaire, and open-ended questions were used to collect data. A convenience sample of 989 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students from across the United States completed the surveys.

RESULTS

Study results revealed resilience strategies and psychological and functional supportive faculty behaviors and actions are substantial predictors of lower depression, anxiety, and stress in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students.

CONCLUSIONS

Investments in faculty development to support nursing student resilience may reduce the degree of negative mental health well-being that students exhibit related to nursing education and promote their successful transition to nursing practice.

Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Happiness of Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study

The aim of this study was to examine the childhood trauma experiences and current happiness levels of nursing students. The quantitative part of the study was carried out with 349 student nurses and the qualitative part with 25 student nurses. An explanatory-sequential mixed methods design was used. Data were collected using Demographic Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form and semi-structured Interview Form between November 2020 and September 2021. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the SAS 9.4 package program. Transcribed qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six stage thematic analysis approach, and this was performed with the MAXQDA 2020 package program. In the quantitative section, it was determined that as the participants' childhood traumatic experiences increased, their happiness levels decreased. In the qualitative section six themes were formed (Childhood Trauma, Effects of Childhood Trauma, Coping with Childhood Trauma, Growing Up After Trauma, Perceptions of Future Parenting, Empowerment Through Nursing Education). It was determined that participants had various childhood traumatic experiences and mostly been exposed to emotional neglect. Some of the participants' childhood traumas continued to affect them in adulthood, and nursing education contributed to coping with trauma and raising awareness about it.

Teaching Social Determinants of Health in Nursing Programs: An Integrative Review of Strategies and Effectiveness

BACKGROUND

Incorporating social determinants of health (SDoH) into clinical decision-making can clarify disease causes, enhance care planning, and improve health outcomes. Nurse educators should know which strategies are most effective for teaching SDoH in bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs.

OBJECTIVE

This integrative review synthesizes the literature on familiarizing BSN students with SDoH and identifies effective teaching interventions for SDoH in these programs.

METHODS

The researchers searched CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, and ERIC databases, and 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were followed for reporting.

RESULTS

The curriculum method, service learning, and international outreach experiences were frequently used teaching strategies. Qualitative evaluation was used to evaluate student outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse educators should be mindful of these strategies. Interdisciplinary teamwork can bolster students' understanding of disadvantaged populations while integrating SDoH in nursing curricula. Quantitative evaluations of learning outcomes are needed to determine teaching effectiveness.

Can a Checklist Facilitate Recognition of a Transfusion-Associated Adverse Event by Prelicensure Nurses?

BACKGROUND

Early identification of a transfusion-associated adverse event (TAAE) is key to patient safety. Research has indicated that use of a TAAE checklist resulted in greater frequency of TAAE recognition behaviors.

PURPOSE

To explore whether use of a TAAE checklist resulted in greater frequency of TAAE recognition behaviors among nursing students.

METHODS

A prospective, randomized controlled study was conducted with 62 nursing students playing the role of a registered nurse in a simulation of a patient exhibiting clinical indicators of a TAAE. Subjects were randomly assigned to have or not have a TAAE checklist. Time to recognition of the TAAE was measured.

RESULTS

The checklist group (CG) identified TAAEs on average 4 minutes sooner than the non-CG ( P < .001). CG subjects were also significantly less likely to miss TAAEs completely.

CONCLUSIONS

A checklist may improve the safety of transfusions by promoting earlier recognition and treatment of TAAEs.

Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning on Development of Nursing Students' Critical Thinking Skills: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach to teaching that has been applied in medical and nursing education. The effectiveness of PBL in promoting critical thinking in nursing students has been studied extensively with mixed results.

PURPOSE

The meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of PBL interventions on critical thinking skills of nursing students.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases were electronically searched. Methodological quality was examined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data were analyzed with 95% confidence intervals based on random-effect models.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies involving 1996 nursing students were included in the analysis. The results of the analysis demonstrated greater improvement in critical thinking skills compared with the control group (overall critical thinking scores: standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.33-0.61, P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analysis indicates that PBL can help nursing students to improve their critical thinking.

The effect of a stress management program on first-year nursing students' clinical stress: A randomized controlled experimental study

BACKGROUND

Clinical clerkships lie at the core of nursing education and are crucial for developing professional skills. However, nursing students, especially freshmen, often encounter significant stress during their clinical experiences.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the effect of a stress management program on first-year nursing students' clinical stress levels.

DESIGN

This randomized controlled experimental study adopted a pretest-posttest-follow-up test research design.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

Participants were recruited using simple randomization. The sample consisted of 64 first-year nursing students (intervention = 32; control = 32) from the nursing department of the faculty of health sciences of a university in Türkiye.

METHODS

Participants were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group attended a stress management program, one weekly session for five weeks (intervention). The research was conducted between 21.02.2022 and 20.05.2022. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Physio-Psycho-Social Response Scale, and the Coping Behavior Inventory. The data were collected pretest and posttest the intervention and two months follow-up test. The data were analyzed using the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS

The changes in the Perceived Stress Scale mean scores, group*time interaction, were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results showed that the changes in the Coping Behavior Inventory "problem-solving" subscale mean scores, group*time interaction, were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The multiple comparisons showed a statistically significant difference in posttest Physio-Psycho-Social Response Scale "social behavioral symptoms" and "emotional symptoms" subscale scores between the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). The multiple comparisons showed a statistically significant difference in posttest Coping Behavior Inventory "problem-solving" and "avoidance" subscale scores between the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The stress management program helps first-year nursing students experience less stress and develop problem-solving skills before they perform clinical clerkships. It also allows them to suffer from fewer emotional and social behavioral symptoms and exhibit fewer avoidance behaviors.

Perinatal death witnessed by midwifery students during clinical practice and their coping methods: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the perinatal death experience of midwifery students during clinical practice and their coping methods.

DESIGN

A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological design was used.

SETTINGS

The study was conducted with midwifery students.

PARTICIPANTS

The study was conducted with 14 midwifery students at a state university in northern Turkey between April and July 2023.

METHODS

Perinatal death experiences that students witnessed during clinical practice and their coping methods were analyzed using the individual in-depth interview technique. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The results obtained from the study were reported according to the COREQ criteria.

FINDINGS

As a result of the analysis, four main themes: (1) the perception of the concept of death, (2) the first encounter with death, (3) methods of coping with death, and (4) students' suggestions were elicited from the data. Students who witnessed perinatal death were affected by this situation, experienced negative emotions, and resorted to different methods to cope with their negative feelings about death.

CONCLUSIONS

Midwifery students who witnessed perinatal death were negatively affected emotionally and professionally; therefore, education and policy-oriented regulations are needed to cope with perinatal death.

Trait emotional intelligence as a predictor of resilience among undergraduate nursing students: A structural equation modelling approach

BACKGROUND

There is a growing interest in understanding the role of trait emotional intelligence and resilience. However, few studies have examined the relationships between the various factors of trait emotional intelligence and resilience.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the factors of trait emotional intelligence and resilience using a structure equation modelling approach.

DESIGN

A quantitative exploratory design using structural equation modelling approach.

SETTING

One university in Singapore.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 300 undergraduate nursing students were included in this study.

METHOD

A quantitative exploratory study using the structural equation modelling technique was conducted. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and Brief Resilience Scale were used to examine the relationships between trait emotional intelligence and resilience. The data analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS software.

RESULTS

The structural equation model found relationships between the various factors of trait emotional intelligence. There were associations between self-control, sociability, and emotionality scores with well-being scores. In addition, there is a relationship between emotionality and well-being scores on resilience scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this study illustrate the complex relationships between the various factors of trait emotional intelligence, and specifically how these factors are related to each other and resilience. The findings of this study propose that emotional intelligence are associated with one's resilience. For this reason, these findings will be important in the development of future resilience programs.

Evaluating Critical Thinking Disposition, Emotional Intelligence, and Learning Environment of Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic may have inhibited the development of critical thinking and emotional intelligence of nursing students due to the transition from traditional to online learning environments.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to evaluate the development of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the perceived learning environment of nursing students during the pandemic from their first to second year.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal study of 82 nursing students from 2 universities in Greece. We measured critical thinking disposition, emotional intelligence, and the students' perceptions of the learning environment in 2 phases, separated by a 10 month interval, before and during the pandemic.

RESULTS

Students had moderate-to-high critical thinking and emotional intelligence and perceived the learning environment as more positive than negative in both phases. However, there were no statistically significant changes between phases in critical thinking disposition (mean score 44.3 vs 45.1, p = .224) and emotional intelligence (mean score 5.05 vs 5.06, p = .950) between the 2 phases. Nevertheless, students rated the online learning environment (phase 2) higher than the traditional (mean score 137.8 vs 132.2, p = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Critical thinking and emotional intelligence did not change, but students favored the online learning environment over the traditional. These findings suggest that nurse educators persevered, adapted, and maintained the quality of the learning environment despite the pandemic. Moreover, the utilization of an online learning environment may have led to enhanced enjoyment and engagement for students, which could potentially result in improved learning outcomes.

Photovoice: An active learning tool with community nursing students

OBJECTIVE

To assess nursing students' experiences of using photovoice as a pedagogical approach to active learning in the community.

METHODS

A descriptive design with a cross-sectional mixed-method questionnaire was used with 108 students following an educational activity, in which their communities were photographed and the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations was reflected. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Seventy eight percent of the students felt that photovoice was an interesting and useful tool for nurses, 89% affirmed it helped stimulate reflection on social and health inequities in times of pandemic, 82% described that it developed many emotions and feelings and 86% would like to disseminate their photographs directly to stakeholders, citizens, and politicians. Three themes were identified in the data: "stimulate critical reflection", "develop emotional skills", and "encourage action".

CONCLUSIONS

Photovoice is a successful active learning pedagogical approach that engages nursing students to develop critical awareness while connecting with their communities, with the real world. It fosters students' sensitivity and motivation and encourages them to take action. Teachers need to introduce new scaffolds for active learning, such as photovoice, to provide innovative academic support that nurtures and develops the next generation of nurses appropriately.

Effect of Unfolding Case-Based Learning on Clinical Judgment Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

To prepare students for Next Generation National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN), nurse educators need to develop teaching strategies to foster students' clinical judgment.

PURPOSE

This study examined the effects of unfolding case-based learning (CBL) on baccalaureate nursing students' clinical judgment upon graduation.

METHODS

A prospective cohort design was adopted. Students' self-reported responses to the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric were compared between the unfolding CBL (n = 140) and non-CBL (n = 126) cohorts at a school of nursing in the United States.

RESULTS

While students' responses were similar between the study cohorts, a trend was noted for improved clinical judgment among students in the unfolding CBL cohort. Furthermore, unfolding CBL significantly enhanced students' perceived proficiency in conducting focused observation.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support early introduction and consistent use of the unfolding CBL throughout the undergraduate nursing program so that students have ample opportunities and contexts to cultivate clinical judgment skills in the classroom.

Work With ChatGPT, Not Against: 3 Teaching Strategies That Harness the Power of Artificial Intelligence

BACKGROUND

Technological advances have expanded nursing education to include generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT.

PROBLEM

Generative AI tools challenge academic integrity, pose a challenge to validating information accuracy, and require strategies to ensure the credibility of AI-generated information.

APPROACH

This article presents a dual-purpose approach integrating AI tools into prelicensure nursing education to enhance learning while promoting critical evaluation skills. Constructivist theories and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development framework support this integration, with AI as a scaffold for developing critical thinking.

OUTCOMES

The approach involves practical activities for students to engage with AI-generated content critically, thereby reinforcing clinical judgment and preparing them for AI-prevalent health care environments.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporating AI tools such as ChatGPT into nursing curricula represents a strategic educational advancement, equipping students with essential skills to navigate modern health care.

The mediating role of emotional intelligence on nursing students' coping strategies and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Anxiety among nursing students documented during the COVID-19 pandemic reflected their fear of contracting infections, adhering to the mandatory use of masks in public, engaging in the new experience of distance learning, having financial problems, and so on. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence (EI) on nursing students' coping strategies and anxiety during the pandemic. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in a university in Jordan. An online survey was used to obtain data from a sample of 282 nursing students who had returned to on-campus learning during the summer semester of 2019/2020. The survey held four parts: (a) questions about sociodemographics, (b) the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, (c) the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), and (d) the Brief-Coping Behavior Questionnaire (Brief-COPE). The results showed that EI had a fully mediating role in the relationship between problem-focused coping strategies and anxiety, and it partially mediated the emotion-focused and avoidant/dysfunctional coping strategies and anxiety relationships. Nursing students who used the problem-focused coping strategies had high levels of EI, and with increasing levels of EI, anxiety levels decreased. Promoting the development of EI among nursing students would enable them to manage their emotions effectively and control their anxiety, particularly in new circumstances such as those that occurred during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Mediating effects of attitude on the relationship between knowledge and willingness to organ donation among nursing students

Background

The current rate of organ donation in China falls significantly below the global average and the actual demand. Nursing students play a crucial role in supporting and promoting social and public welfare activities. This study primary aims to analyze the levels of knowledge, attitudes, willingness toward organ donation, and attitudes toward death among nursing students, and investigate the mediating role of attitude in the relationship between knowledge and willingness. The secondary aims to identify factors that may influence the willingness.

Methods

A convenience sample of nursing students completed online-administered questionnaires measuring the level of knowledge, attitudes, and willingness toward organ donation before and after clinical internship. Spearman correlation and mediation analyses were used for data analyses.

Results

Before the clinical internship, there were 435 nursing students who had not yet obtained their degrees and were completing their clinical internships. After the internship, this number decreased to 323. The mean score for knowledge before and after the clinical internship (7.17 before and 7.22 after, with no significant difference), the attitude (4.58 before and 4.36 after, with significant difference), the willingness (12.41% before and 8.67% after, with significant difference), the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R) score (94.41 before and 92.56 after, with significant difference). The knowledge indirectly affected nursing students' willingness to organ donation through attitude. Knowledge had a direct and positive impact on attitudes (β = 1.564). Additionally, nursing students' attitudes positively affected their willingness (β = 0.023). Attitudes played a mediating role in the relationship between knowledge and willingness (β = 0.035). Additionally, attitude toward death, fear of death, and acceptance of the concept of escape were found to be correlated with their willingness.

Conclusion

Organ donation willingness was found to be low among nursing students. Positive attitudes were identified as a mediating factor between knowledge and willingness. Additionally, DAP-R was a related factor. Therefore, it is recommended to focus on improving knowledge and attitude, as well as providing death education to help nursing students establish a positive attitude toward death. These efforts can contribute to the promotion of organ donation.

The effectiveness of spiritual care training on medical students' self-reported competencies: A quasi-experimental study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of spiritual care training on medical students' self-reported competencies.

METHODS

This is a quasi-experimental (controlled and non-randomized) study including 115 Brazilian medical students. Participants were enrolled into 2 groups: fourth-year students (n = 64) who received spiritual care training and sixth-year students (n = 51) who did not receive this training - control group (i.e., usual teaching). Participants answered a self-reported Spiritual Care Competence Scale. Comparisons between groups were performed and effect sizes were reported.

RESULTS

Providing a spiritual care training resulted in significantly higher self-reported scores for the dimensions of "Assessment" (d = 0.99), "Improvement of care" (d = 0.69), "Counseling (d = 0.88)," "Referral" (d = 0.75), and "Total Spiritual Care" (d = 1.044) as compared to the control group. Likewise, 21 out of 27 items of the Spiritual Care Competence Scale were significantly higher for the intervention group, presenting effect sizes (d) ranging between 0.428 and 1.032.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Medical students receiving spiritual care training showed greater self-reported competencies as compared to those in the usual teaching. These results reinforce the importance of promoting spirituality teaching in medical schools.

Mental health associated with the cluster of childhood trauma and resilience among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to propose clusters of the association between childhood trauma and resilience in nursing students and to examine their mental health according to these clusters.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2018 and May 2019. A total of 1,245 undergraduate nursing students (104 male, 1,141 female) were enrolled in a medical university in East China to complete the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and Self-Rating Depression Scale.

RESULTS

The cluster analysis identified three clusters as follows: the self-healing group (40.7%), the mildly traumatized with low resiliency group (22.2%), and the healthy group (37.1%). The logistic regression analysis revealed that the levels of anxiety and depression significantly differed between the three clusters, with the mildly traumatized with low resiliency group having the highest odds to have anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSION

This study identified three clusters of the association between childhood trauma and resilience in undergraduate nursing students and indicated that each cluster was associated with a different level of anxiety and depression. The unique characteristics of the three clusters may help identify and develop appropriate interventions to promote the mental health of undergraduate nursing students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Explaining the Relation Between Perceived Social Support and Psychological Well-Being Among Chinese Nursing Students: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model Involving Integrative Self-Knowledge and Self-Integrity

BACKGROUND

Addressing numerous calls for understanding the theoretical mechanisms that explain the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being to enhance nursing students' mental health.

AIMS

This study focused on how integrative self-knowledge and self-integrity mediate the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being.

METHODS

The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to estimate the mediation effects on the relationship between perceived social support and psychological well-being among 487 undergraduate nursing students. To examine the directionality of effects, the present study also tested the reverse serial mediation model. Multi-group SEM (MGSEM) was used to test gender differences in the mediation model.

RESULTS

Integrative self-knowledge and self-integrity, in sequence, mediated the association between perceived social support and psychological well-being among nursing students. In addition, there was no gender difference in these associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Improving nursing students' perceived social support, integrative self-knowledge, and self-integrity is beneficial for promoting their mental health.

Positive change in intent to practice rurally is strongly associated with nursing and allied health students of metropolitan origin after rural clinical placement

OBJECTIVE

To: (1) assess whether rural clinical placements influence change in intention to practice rurally for nursing and allied health students, (2) to assess whether residential origin (metropolitan or rural) or university location (metropolitan or non-metropolitan) influence this change, and (3) assess residential origin of health professionals practicing rurally after graduation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey (2014-2022) conducted in Northern/Northeastern Victoria and Grampians region by nursing and allied health students completing rural clinical placements. Survey explored student placement satisfaction, intention to practice rurally and demographic information, with a follow-up two years' post-placement.

FINDINGS

Experience of a rural placement increased students' intention of practicing rurally. Importantly, 57% of metropolitan origin students studying at metropolitan campuses exhibited positive change. Logistic regression analysis suggested that after controlling for age, gender and satisfaction with placement and supervision, students of metropolitan origin at metropolitan campuses were 6.4 times more likely to report positive change in intent to practice rurally after placement than students of rural origin studying at non-metropolitan campuses.Follow-up data suggested that a substantial proportion of health professionals providing services in rural areas were of metropolitan origin.

RESULTS

These findings concur that rural origin and rural training are important predictors of working rurally. Additionally, metropolitan students can change their intention to practice rurally after a rural placement.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports strategies to enhance intention to practice rurally that are not restricted to rural origin students to build rural workforce.