Achieving graduate outcomes in undergraduate nursing education: following the Yellow Brick Road

Nursing practice is a dynamic and constantly changing field within healthcare, with well-documented challenges to maintaining a suitably skilled workforce to meet the needs of the community it serves. Undergraduate nursing education provides the mandatory minimum requirements for professional registration. Each nursing program has clearly stated graduate attributes, qualities that their graduates will possess on graduation. The aim of this paper is to stimulate discussion about graduate attributes for nurses, a transferrable set of specific attributes that make nursing graduates work ready. This paper focuses on identifying specific attributes, the embedding of those attributes in nursing education, particularly through role modelling, with the aim of producing a future workforce that is knowledgeable, compassionate and confident. The graduate attributes are likened to the qualities sought by the characters in ‘The Wizard of Oz’; brains, heart and courage and the learning process as the ‘Yellow Brick Road’. There is a relative lack of discussion about role modelling by nurse educators for nursing students, a potentially undervalued learning experience that we believe must be brought to the forefront of discussions pertaining to undergraduate nursing education and achieving graduate outcomes.     

Attitudes of undergraduate nursing students toward Objective Structure Practical Examination: An Exploratory study

BackgroundObjective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is a method of assessment of clinical competence. The examination is conducted at multiple stations. Besides practical and problem-solving skills, theoretical knowledge is also tested. OSPE can be traced back more than 40 years. OSPE has been included more than two decades, as a part of assessment in the College of Nursing, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.ObjectivesThis study was carried out to determine nursing students' attitudes towards OSPE as an assessment tool.ParticipantsThe responses of all the 252 Undergraduate nursing students studying at the College of Nursing, AIIMS were obtained for this study (77 from B.Sc.(H) Nursing first year, 61 from the second year, 69 from the third year and 45 from the fourth year).MethodsThe students attitudes towards OSPE were assessed by using a validated questionnaire containing 28 item statements on Likert's 5-point scale (LS) and 11 bipolar adjectives on Osgood's 7-point Semantic' Differential Scale (OSDS).ResultMost of the students approved of OSPE and felt that it was fair, useful, good, effective, exciting, interesting, practical, skill oriented but also taxing. The study also revealed that amongst the second years' students there was a strong correlation between Overall Rank in the Class and Assessment of OSPE.ConclusionThe study supports the introduction of OSPE as one of the methods of assessment of B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing students.     

大学生防御机制及人际信任的相关研究

目的 探讨防御机制与人际信任的特点及关系,为维护大学生的心理健康提供参考.方法 采用人际信任量表(ITS)与防御方式问卷(DSQ)对581名大学生进行调查分析.结果 大学生四种心理防御机制对人际信任有显著的负相关(P＜0.01)；4种心理防御机制均进入回归方程,共解释人际信任10.6％的变异,成熟、中间和掩饰防御机制对人际信任的回归系数有显著统计学意义,不成熟心理防御机制对人际信任的回归系数无统计学意义.结论 大学生的心理防御机制对人际信任水平有显著的负向预测作用.     

The extent,variability, and attitudes towards volunteering among undergraduate nursing students: Implications for pedagogy in nurse education

In the aftermath of the Francis Report nurses are being called to account for an apparent lack of care and compassion, leading to debate around pedagogy in nurse education. Absent from this debate is a consideration of student volunteering within undergraduate nursing programmes and its potential to promote student nurses self-esteem and to enhance the development of critical thinking skills. The aim of this study was therefore to understand the extent of and attitudes towards volunteering among nursing students. A mixed methods approach using a specifically developed questionnaire, followed by in-depth interviews to ascertain extent, variability, and attitudes towards volunteering revealed low levels of volunteering among nursing students. Limited time, limited access, and lack of academic support were cited as reasons. Nevertheless, students displayed positive attitudes towards volunteering. While volunteering has been shown to impact upon students abilities to think critically, to develop personal values and respond to the needs of others, volunteering within the UK undergraduate nursing programme considered here is neither structured nor formalized. Nurse educators should pay attention to the positive benefits of volunteering for nursing students and consider ways in which volunteering might be incorporated into the curriculum.     

上海大学生非酒精性脂肪肝与载脂蛋白E基因多态性的关系

目的 探讨上海大学生非酒精性脂肪肝(NAFLD)的患病率及与载脂蛋白E(ApoE)基因多态性的相关性.方法 对上海同济大学4 148名在校学生进行问卷调查;采用肝脏超声以及血肝功能、脂蛋白等生化指标检测,将确诊的NAFLD患者与正常者200例,进行外周血PCR-RFLP检测ApoE基因多态性.结果 (1)4 148名大学生中NAFLD检出398例(9.6%),NAFLD患者的体重指数、腰臀比、甘油三酯、总胆固醇、丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、谷氨酰转移酶均高于对照组(P＜0.01),且随NAFLD程度加重,有递增趋势.(2)NAFLD组和对照组ApoE基因型分布比较差异显著(,P＜0.01).NAFLD E4/4基因型分布频率(5.5%)明显升高,E3/3分布频率(61.8%)明显减低(均P＜0.01).(3)非条件logistic回归分析显示总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、腰臀比、AST、ALT、GGT与E4/4基因型密切相关.结论 ApoE基因112位和158位的氨基酸残基发生相应的变化可引起不同程度的脂质代谢障碍,E4/4可能是导致NAFLD发生的遗传因素之一.     

Impact of a standardized patient simulation on undergraduate nursing student knowledge and perceived competency of the care of a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia

Background

Undergraduate nursing students may not have the opportunity to assess and intervene with a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia during their clinical rotation. Provision of a standardized patient simulation experience affords students this opportunity in a safe setting without risk to the patient or student.

课程思政融入本科免疫学教学的思考和探索

思想政治工作贯穿教育教学全过程,立德树人是中心环节。根据免疫学专业课程特点,将课程思政融入免疫学教学是一种两者相得益彰的教学方式。本文总结了课程思政与免疫学教学融合的必要性,思考并探索了将课程思政融入免疫学教学的内容和方式,以实现全程育人和全方位育人的目标,培养卓越的医学生。     

Academic advising and student support: Help-seeking behaviors among Saudi dental undergraduate students

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the use of and satisfaction with the academic-advising and student-support systems available to undergraduate students in the College of Dentistry at the University of Dammam. In addition, the study aimed to also identify factors that explained the help-seeking behavior of students which they used to solve academic issues.

Materials and methods

Students enrolled in the five-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program in 2012–13 and 2013–14 first-year students were invited to respond to a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

The results showed that 66.2% of students had discussed academic issues with their advisor at least once, with a frequency ranging from zero to six times. Most students reported that their advisors were readily available, listened intently to their needs and questions, and helped them solve their problems. However, only 7.6% of students relied primarily on advisors for help with academic issues, whereas 51% depended first on colleagues and 13.8% did not seek help and relied on themselves. In total, 17.2% of students were very or somewhat satisfied with the academic advising system. Males had lower odds of discussing issues with their advisors, and the odds were higher with advisors who were more available (OR = 0.25 and 3.74, respectively). Alerting students to important dates in the academic calendar significantly increased the odds that a student would depend primarily on academic advisors for advice related to academic issues (OR = 6.53).

Conclusions

Few students were satisfied with the academic support system. We need to train advisors to help them develop their skills and knowledge and to enable them to provide the support needed by the students.     

Introducing technology into medical education: Two pilot studies

ObjectivesEducators are integrating new technology into medical curriculum. The impact of newer technology on educational outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to determine if two pilot interventions, (1) introducing iPads into problem-based learning (PBL) sessions and (2) online tutoring would improve the educational experience of our learners.MethodsWe voluntarily assigned 26 second-year medical students to iPad-based PBL sessions. Five students were assigned to Skype for exam remediation. We performed a mixed-method evaluation to determine efficacy.ResultsPilot 1: Seventeen students completed a survey following their use of an iPad during the second-year PBL curriculum. Students noted the iPad allows for researching information in real time, annotating lecture notes, and viewing sharper images. Data indicate that iPads have value in medical education and are a positive addition to the curriculum. Pilot 2: Students agreed that online tutoring is at least or more effective than in-person tutoring.ConclusionsIn our pilot studies, students experienced that iPads and Skype are beneficial in medical education and can be successfully employed in areas such as PBL and remediation.Practice implicationsEducators should continue to further examine innovative opportunities for introducing technology into medical education.     

小分子ERK抑制剂的研究进展

细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK）是一种丝/苏氨酸蛋白激酶。作为RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK信号通路中关键的下游蛋白,其异常活化在肿瘤的发生发展中起着重要作用。选择性ERK1/2抑制剂能够阻断ERK信号通路,同时克服上游靶点突变而导致的耐药性。本文概述了MAPK信号通路的组成、ERK的结构与功能以及ERK信号通路在肿瘤发生发展中的作用,并重点介绍一些具有代表性的处于临床和临床前研究阶段的ERK抑制剂。