Nursing students assess nursing education.

This study assessed the characteristics of nursing students currently enrolled in nursing education programs, how students finance their nursing education, their plans for clinical practice and graduate education, and the rewards and difficulties of being a nursing student. Data are from a survey administered to a national sample of 496 nursing students. The students relied on financial aid and personal savings and earnings to finance their education. Parents, institutional scholarships, and government loans are also important sources, but less than 15% of the students took out bank loans. Nearly one quarter of the students, particularly younger and minority students, plan to enroll in graduate school immediately after graduation and most want to become advanced nursing practitioners. Most of the nursing students (88%) are satisfied with their nursing education and nearly all (95%) provided written answers to two open-ended questions. Comments collapsed into three major categories reflecting the rewards (helping others, status, and job security) and three categories reflecting the difficulties (problems with balancing demands, quality of nursing education, and the admissions process) of being a nursing student. Implications for public policymaking center on expanding the capacity of nursing education programs, whereas schools themselves should focus on addressing the financial needs of students, helping them strike a balance among their school, work, and personal/family responsibilities and modifying certain aspects of the curriculum.     

An academic practice partnership: Building capacity to meet sexual health education policy requirements of a public school system

The purpose of this clinical concepts paper is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a formal academic‐practice partnership between a large, urban, public school system and a college of nursing, based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's Guiding Principles to Academic‐Practice Partnerships. The overarching goal of the partnership was to increase the school district's capacity to meet sexual health education policy requirements while providing graduate nursing students with an opportunity to work with a diverse population of youth during a public health nursing practicum course. As a result of the partnership, over 2,000 public school students (grades 5–12) have received comprehensive sexual health education and increased their knowledge by an average of 19.7–32.7%. In addition, 79 prelicensure, graduate nursing students have been placed at the public school system for public health nursing practicum and 100% have met all clinical objectives. As with any partnership, successes and lessons learned were identified. Discussion of both is included in this paper and may benefit other organizations considering entering into similar partnerships. Ultimately, academic‐practice partnerships are an important mechanism to simultaneously meet the growing needs of community practice partners and nursing education programs, while strengthening public health nursing practice.     

Distance education programs for advanced practice nurses: questions to ask

This article reviews the use of distance learning in nursing education and to summarize key questions that must be addressed by programs or students considering advanced practice nursing education using distance technology. An acute care nurse practitioner program using distance learning strategies is provided as an example to illustrate delivery of a clinically based curriculum. Examples of questions to be addressed in evaluating a distance education program include: How much of the course or graduate nursing program is available on-line? What are the specific informational technologies used? How does communication occur between graduate students and faculty? How are clinical requirements of a course managed? Are there any requirements for time to be spent directly on campus? Is it necessary for the student to have a computer and Internet provider? Knowledge of the available technology and components of distance education can enhance the ability of the advanced practice nurse to evaluate better and choose educational program offerings.     

Effective learning about the concept of pain from a perioperative clinical rotation

One of the major concepts that permeates all of nursing practice is the assessment and treatment of pain. Although the concept is simple in statement, its practice has proven to be difficult for seasoned nurses for a variety of reasons. New graduate nurses may have particular difficulty because of their lack of experience with pain. Forty-nine baccalaureate students provided qualitative statements about patients' pain after participating in a 6- to 8-week perioperative clinical rotation. Findings from this study show how the perioperative setting can enhance student nurses' understanding of pain and promote more effective and proactive pain management interventions. © 2001 by the American Society of Pain Management Nurses     

An online dual-certification program in advanced practice nursing and nursing education: one university's response to faculty shortages

Educating nurses for the healthcare delivery workforce is stymied as qualified applicants to nursing programs are being turned away. Although applications to baccalaureate programs have increased, between 41,683 and 147,000 undergraduate and graduate applicants were turned away from nursing education programs in 2005 due largely to shortages of nursing faculty. In this article, the evidence-based rationale for the development of a dual-certification program for the preparation of clinical nurse specialists and nurse educators is described. Because faculty shortages are nationwide, we developed the program to be delivered, in its entirety, online. Standardized data collection methods for evaluating student progress and their achievement of competencies expected of clinical nurse specialists and nurse educators are provided. The program may be a model for preparing clinically competent nurse educators who prefer practice settings to full-time faculty positions.     

Transitioning the practical nursing student into practice: outcomes of a geriatric initiative

Schools of nursing for practical nursing students typically follow the traditional model of acute care facilities. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate an initiative project examining the use of a skilled nursing facility as a final clinical site in a practical nursing program. The pilot study proved to generate a successful academic and practice partnership between the school of nursing and skilled nursing facility, provide opportunities for students to gain confidence and practice in caring for older adults, and meet the goals and outcomes of the clinical practicum. Clinical experiences offered in a skilled nursing facility prepare practical nursing students to care for older adults and transition from student to graduate.     

The opioid contract in the management of chronic pain.

Although the "opioid contract" is widely used in the administration of chronic opioid therapy, its use has not been well defined and there are few guidelines for developing or revising such tools. We reviewed opioid contracts from 39 major academic pain centers and analyzed every statement for its core meaning. These statements were grouped into general categories and then into specific statement groups. Substantial diversity in the content of the 39 contracts was found. Statements could be grouped into 12 general categories, 43 statements groups, and 125 individual statements. Each of the 39 contracts reviewed contained 22.5% +/- 10.9% of the entire list of 125 statements and 32.6% +/- 11.2% of the 43 statement categories. Contract length averaged less than 3 pages (range: 1 to 1 mean 2.2). We describe frequent and infrequent themes that may be well suited for inclusion in any given contract. While there are many significant issues related to the usage of a formal contract in chronic opioid therapy, there was substantial consistency among the contracts in their universal attempts to improve care through dissemination of information, facilitate a mutually agreed-upon course, or enhance compliance. This study serves as an initial step in considering the risk and benefits of an opioid contract as well as its ideal content and presentation.     

Strategy for teaching evaluation research in psychiatric/mental health nursing

The evaluation research course presented in this paper is one strategy for introducing needed evaluation research content at the graduate level in nursing. The course was developed for students who were in their final semester of completing requirements for an MSN degree with a major in psychiatric/mental health nursing. To provide for active involvement in the evaluation research process, students evaluated a psychotherapy group in which they were therapists. The theoretical framework for both class content and the evaluation research project was based on Bloch's extension of Donabedian's approach to evaluation. Using the theoretical framework as a guide, students investigated both process and outcome as well as the relationship between process and outcome. Students reported that the knowledge and skills gained were valuable to their clinical practice. On the other hand, students found the course to be very demanding and difficult to complete in a 15 week period. One unexpected benefit, however, was that the course helped students to understand group process better.     

Lessons learned from a mentored graduate program in gerontological nursing.

An educational training grant provided the funding for a 3-year project to recruit candidates into a mentored and redesigned gerontological advanced practice nursing program. The project goal was to design and implement a part-time program in advanced practice gerontological nursing that allowed nurses currently working in a long-term care (LTC) facility to maintain their full-time employment. Most of the students recruited worked at a partner LTC facility. The cohort was ethnically diverse. The outcome objective is board certification in gerontological advanced practice nursing. The mentored model offered a high level of support, including tutoring, professional role development activities, writing support, regular meetings, and workshops. Project faculty learned valuable lessons from this project relating to mentoring, tutoring, course scheduling, learning styles and preferences, and writing support. The part-time curriculum should also be reviewed critically.     

Case management curriculum in nursing education

Case management has been viewed as an essential function within the current healthcare environment. While the importance of case management in providing quality patient care is documented in the literature and in statements by national nursing and healthcare organizations, there is limited identification and documentation of case management content in nursing education programs. The purpose of this study was to identify the current case management content taught in nursing education programs and to determine the essential concepts and skills of case management relevant to associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing education. Using the results of this study, one baccalaureate nursing program revised a chronic illness course to expand the classroom presentation and clinical experience associated with case management content.     

Audio feedback for student writing in online nursing courses: exploring student and instructor reactions

Because scientific writing is an essential skill for advanced practice nurses, it is an important component of graduate education. Faculty typically provide written feedback about student writing, but this may not be the most effective choice for the distance-learning environment. This exploratory pilot study's aim was to compare spoken, recorded feedback with written feedback in three areas: which approach do students perceive as providing more useful guidance; which approach helps students feel more connected to the course; and which approach do instructors prefer? Students enrolled in an evidence-based practice graduate-level course received asynchronous audio feedback on their written assignments instead of the written feedback they received in other courses. Results from a survey completed by 30 students at completion of the course suggest a strong preference for audio feedback. This pilot study suggests that audio feedback may be preferable to written comments for distance learning courses.     

The linkage that worked: the Catholic University of America/Carroll Manor Teaching Nursing Home Program

The TNH at the CUA/CM site included a group of people who agreed to direct their mutual commitment to common goals; they operated within a shared belief system, agreed to model a liaison that would result in quality care for the elderly, and hoped to create interest in gerontological nursing by increasing the number of prepared gerontological nursing specialists. Four areas of clinical knowledge enabled the success of this project: practice, education, administration, and research. The elements of this one situation can be translated into criteria that guide the establishment and maintenance of a TNH, namely: Two critical ingredients: a nursing home and a school of nursing with an undergraduate and a graduate nursing program; A formal agreement that specifies; a shared mission statement; responsibilities in the school and in the nursing home for practice, education, administration, research, and consultation; Clearly defined roles for the nursing faculty in the nursing home, and for the professional nursing staff in the school of nursing; Opportunity for faculty and agency input into respective institutions at all levels, including the highest policy making level; and A steering committee with representation from the school of nursing and the nursing home that guides the functions of the teaching nursing home activities; Depending upon the circumstances, the environment, and the people, other persons may or may not be able to replicate this model. Whether or not replication is possible, there may be some aspects of this experience that will suggest positive avenues to explore with the hope of establishing collaboration linkages, between nursing education and nursing service.     

Hermeneutic philosophy. Part II: A nursing research example of the hermeneutic imperative to address forestructures/pre-understandings

Hermeneutic research requires that pre-understandings are brought to consciousness in order to provide the phenomenon under investigation with the greatest opportunity to reveal itself. This hermeneutic imperative is dealt with in the present study. My research involved explicating the practice knowledge of nursing on residential adolescent mental health units, and as I had worked on such units I held pre-understandings that would influence the research. I addressed pre-understandings in three ways: (i) by developing understandings of practice knowledge through a hermeneutic conceptualisation of it; (ii) by working out forestructures of the phenomenon under investigation. Using Heidegger's writing on forestructures, 20 statements were generated, interpreted and reconceptualised as my forestructures of residential adolescent mental health nursing. I used this work to review participant interviews in an effort to prevent myself from only finding what I already assumed I would find in relation to practice knowledge; and (iii) by formulating pre-understandings of the phenomenon of interest. Using Gadamer's writing on reflection, seven stories were written and interpreted as my pre-understandings of adolescent mental health nursing practice. I used this work to consider the presence of pre-understandings during textual interpretation in an attempt to prevent premature interpretive closure. In these ways, I brought my forestructures/pre-understandings to consciousness, reflected on them, questioned their origins, adequacy and legitimacy and thereby took account of their influence on myself and the research.     

Introducing personal digital assistants to enhance nursing education in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs

This article describes how a school of nursing implemented an innovative program to introduce personal digital assistants to undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Undergraduate students studying pharmacology and nurse practitioner graduate students in an adult health course were asked to purchase a personal digital assistant privately or through the university bookstore. Faculty selected an appropriate software package. After students were oriented to the hardware and software package, innovative teaching strategies were implemented to help guide students to use their mobile devices to access clinically relevant information. Student feedback about this experience was positive. The most important elements for successful adoption of personal digital assistants are to provide training for both faculty and students, and to develop learning opportunities using the technology. Use of mobile technologies is an important competency that will improve the quality of nursing practice and therefore should be included in nursing curricula.     

书面作业在临床护理教学中的运用及效果评价

目的 :探讨书面作业在临床教学中的应用及其效果。方法 :对 19名本科实习生布置不同类型的书面作业 ,并为学生完成作业提供有利条件 ,对书面作业进行评价。结果 :学生认为书面作业很重要 ,促进了理论与实践结合、思维分析能力的提高、专业价值观的形成和提高写作技能等。结论 :书面作业在临床护理本科生实习教学中 ,有效地提高了实习效果     

Issues and trends in nursing service administration education.

The Council on Graduate Education for Administration in Nursing (CGEAN) was established to further the development and improvement of graduate education for administration in nursing. The Council seeks to identify the nature and direction of education for administration in nursing in various healthcare systems, providing guidelines for programs offering administration. A major goal of CGEAN is facilitating dialogue between nursing service administrators and graduate level educators who are engaged in teaching and research related to administration in nursing. This column, sponsored by members of the Council, will analyze and respond to position statements and trends related to the delivery of health services and graduate education for administrators in nursing.     

Problem in the profession: How and why writing skills in nursing must be improved

As a profession, nursing is obligated to disseminate knowledge by publishing research in the professional literature. Beyond producing scholarly work for publication, nurses need writing skills to complete doctoral dissertations and scholarly projects, and to succeed in obtaining funds for new nurse-directed business ventures. Ultimately, good writing skills are essential for the future of the nursing profession. In this article, we describe the critical role of writing in nursing, and offer a practical 10-point strategy for improving the writing ability of individual advanced practice nurses who need to improve their writing skills. This article also offers suggestions for increasing nursing's surveillance of nurses' writing skills such as increasing the emphasis on writing instruction as a priority in today's nursing graduate school curriculum, greater writing support for nurses who are writing dissertations and scholarly projects, evaluating writing programs, and monitoring the completion rate of nursing dissertations.     

Standardized testing in nursing education: Preparing students for NCLEX-RN® and practice

Standardized testing that predicts nursing student success accurately and identifies weak content areas has played a critical role in nursing education. Critics of such testing lament the harm of this type of testing, often misinterpreting common practices as well as overlooking all value. The goal of nursing school is to graduate competent professionals with adequate knowledge to practice safely, who can pass the NCLEX-RN® and gain employment. The use of standardized exit exams or comprehensive exams that are valid and reliable should be embraced as evidence-based, academically rigorous evaluation tools, much like the discipline of education has embraced the Praxis Exam. This paper will present evidence supporting the value of “program exit standardized testing” and address the importance of assessing students and focusing on minimum competency. As a profession that prides itself on the use of evidence to guide practice, we need to use evidence to guide policy development with respect to the use of standardized testing in nursing education.