Nursing teachers' job burnout and teaching ability: The mediating role of social support based on the Person-Context interaction theory

BACKGROUND

Great attention has been attached to the quality of nursing along with the development of medical treatment, which gives rise to the higher demand for colleges to cultivate high-quality nursing students, as well as the higher standard for teaching performance of the nursing faculty.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of teachers' job burnout on teaching ability among nursing teachers in Chinese colleges and to examine the mediating role of social support in this relationship based on the Person-context interaction theory.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive design has been adopted.

METHODS

From February to June 2021, a total of 416 Chinese nursing teachers from 27 colleges filled out the questionnaires with a response rate of 97.42%. The questionnaire included general demographic questionnaire, teaching ability in nursing scale, teacher burnout scale and social support scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS26.0 statistical software in terms of Pearson's correlation the Structural Equation Model (SEM) was adopted to test the mediating effect of social support between job burnout and teaching ability in nursing of nursing teachers using Mplus 8.3.

RESULTS

Job burnout of nursing teachers was negatively and significantly correlated with the teaching ability in nursing and social support (p < 0.01). And Structural Equation Model results showed that social support mediated the relationship between teacher burnout and teaching ability in nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support could help nursing teachers manage their job burnout, and eventually help them overcome the negative impact of teachers' job burnout on teaching ability in nursing. Social support could promote the teaching ability of nursing teachers by playing an intermediary role between them.[Box: see text].

A survey of nursing teachers' awareness of discrimination and inequity in telephone nursing care

Background

Nursing care should be respectful of and unrestricted by patients’ age, ethnicity, gender, dis/abilities or social status, and such values should be taught to nursing students. Nursing teachers are crucial as role models, and their values are essential. In telephone nursing, only age, sex and ethnicity are known to the registered nurses, which can be challenging. The aim of this study was to explore awareness of discrimination and inequity in telephone nursing among nursing teachers.

Methods

A study specific survey was filled in by 135 nursing teachers from three universities in Sweden. The survey included short descriptions of 12 fictive persons who differed in age, ethnicity and sex and with questions about their estimated life situation. The teachers’ estimations of life situation were ranked from lowest probability to highest probability. A ‘good life index’ was constructed and calculated for each fictive person. It included quality of life, power over one’s own life and experience of discrimination.

Results

The results indicate that the nursing teachers were aware of how power and age, ethnicity and sex are related; that is, they were aware of discrimination and inequity in healthcare. The persons assessed to be most likely to lead a good life were males of Swedish origin, followed by females of Swedish origin. Persons with non-European origin were estimated to have the highest probability of experiencing discrimination.

Conclusions

The nursing teachers were aware of discrimination and inequity in healthcare. They were able to estimate a fictive person’s life situation based on the limited knowledge of age, ethnicity and sex. This is important, as their values are pivotal in theoretical and practical nursing education.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-021-00762-5.

Nursing students' perceptions of teachers' uncivil behaviors: a qualitative research

One of the main issues in nursing education that teachers and students frequently encounter is uncivil behaviors. This type of behavior is destructive for the teaching and learning environment. As teachers play an important role in nursing students' education and are ultimately their role models, the identification of these behaviors in nursing teachers appears to be essential. This study was conducted to determine nursing students' perceptions of their teachers' uncivil behaviors. The present study was conducted using a qualitative approach and content analysis. A total of 13 nursing students were selected through purposive sampling, and deep and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them. Content analysis was performed using an inductive approach. Three main categories were obtained through data analysis; disruptive behaviors affecting communication climate (subthemes: humiliation, the lack of supportiveness, and distrust), disruptive behaviors affecting ethical climate (subthemes: self-centeredness, coercion and aggression, and harassment), and disruptive behaviors affecting learning climate (subthemes: poor teaching skills, poor time management, and indiscipline). Given that human dignity takes precedence over education, any action causing humiliation and embarrassment can have inverse effects on the students and may harm them. These behaviors taint the educational role. Since students select their teachers as their role models, the impact of teachers' uncivil behaviors on students cannot be neglected. Neglecting these behaviors might lead to their persistence in the clinical setting and irreparable damage to patients, who are the ultimate recipients of care.

Factors affecting the actions and emotional reactions of nursing teachers following encounters with students who present them with Internet information

OBJECTIVE

The Internet is a preferred source of information for nursing students. The purpose of the research was to identify teachers' reactions towards students who present them with information retrieved from the Internet.

METHOD

A total of 137 nursing teachers from 15 nursing schools in Israel were surveyed by a questionnaire. The dependent variable was nursing teachers' actions following encounters with students who present them with information from the Internet. Independent variables were: teacher's emotional reactions, teachers' Internet efficacy, Internet anxiety, and perceived student Internet efficacy.

RESULTS

The intensity of positive emotional reactions was the only predictor of teachers' actions towards Internet information retrieved by students. When teachers perceived students as having higher Internet efficacy, their emotional reactions were more positive and they took more actions. Teachers' Internet anxiety was negatively correlated with their positive emotional reactions and actions. No correlation was found between nursing teachers' Internet self efficacy and their reactions or actions following an encounter with students presenting Internet information. Positive emotional reactions mediated correlations between teachers' Internet anxiety, perceived student Internet efficacy, and teachers' actions.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing teachers' positive emotions foster openness and acceptance of Internet information retrieved by students.