Dysrhythmia management content in ADN and BSN curricula

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were to compare nurse educators' perceptions of the importance of selected dysrhythmia management competencies for the graduates of associate degree in nursing (ADN) and baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) programs, and to compare what related content is taught at the ADN and BSN level for dysrhythmia management. METHOD: A quantitative, nonexperimental design with a mailed survey was used to compare how nurse educators perceive the importance of dysrhythmia competencies in selected ADN and BSN programs in the states of Illinois and Iowa, and to determine what related content is taught. RESULTS: A total of 33 ADN and 24 BSN programs returned the survey for a 58.2% (57 of 98) response rate. Results indicated that ADN and BSN faculty in Illinois and Iowa perceived that selected dysrhythmia management content is important and that such content is currently provided at both the ADN and BSN level. CONCLUSIONS: Health care institutions can have confidence that new graduates from either educational preparation have had dysrhythmia management content and can expand their level of expertise.     

Associate and baccalaureate degree final semester students' perceptions of self-efficacy concerning community health nursing competencies

A quantitative study was undertaken to examine whether final semester associate degree nursing (ADN) and baccalaureate degree nursing (BSN) students who experienced community health nursing content perceived themselves as self-efficacious to work as community health nurses (CHNs) with individuals, families, and communities. Additionally, the study examined the variance of perceived self-efficacy (PSE) accounted for by antecedent variables, performance accomplishments (PA), vicarious experience (VE), verbal persuasion (VP), and emotional arousal (EA). Questionnaires were mailed to faculty liaisons from 34 randomly selected National League for Nursing (NLN)-accredited schools in the United States. Statistical analysis revealed that the ADN and BSN final semester students perceived themselves to be equally self-efficacious to work with individuals and families. Significant differences were found, however, between the ADN and BSN students on PSE to work with communities. PA and VE explained 15% of the PSE variance suggesting that actual and VE contributes positively to a students' PSE to work as a CHN.     

Curriculum Analysis of Home Health Content in Associate Degree and Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Education

A statewide study was done with five associate degree (ADN) and five baccalaureate degree (BSN) nursing programs in Georgia to examine the similarities and differences in curriculum based on a nationally used model. From this overall study, select content related to community/home health care was evaluated in the sample programs. Professional standards for community and home health care nursing practice, as well as other published literature on the topic, provided a basis to determine competence to practice. Data were collected through a taped telephone interview to all program chairpersons (N = 10) and mailed questionnaires to faculty involved with all required courses (N = 110). Content analyses of responses allowed for evaluation of frequency of these learning activities between ADN and BSN programs and among BSN programs in the areas of family, teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration, physical assessment, and leadership. Overall, the results indicated lack of conclusive data to support a distinct difference in these educational components between the ADN and BSN sample or among BSN programs. The study was intended to service as a basis for home health care curriculum development in the future.     

Differences in Patient Rating of Care Provided by BSN and ADN Students

Nursing has discussed widely and with fervor the level of education required to provide quality nursing care for clients. No clear consensus has developed but studies tend to show that especially in the hospital setting, baccalaureate (BSN) and associate degree (ADN) nurses initially practice at a similar level. No studies identified compared patient ratings of BSN and ADN nurses. In this study ratings of care provided by BSN and ADN students were compared. Patients, students and instructors rated the student sample using Watson's Patient Satisfaction Rating Scale. Using Pearson correlations and t-tests, the overall satisfaction with care was assessed as "very positive" by patients, faculty and students alike. A significant correlation was found between faculty and patient ratings. Results support earlier findings and demonstrate similarities rather than differences in care provided by the two levels of students. Implications for nursing education and practice are discussed.     

The level and focus of geriatric nursing content in ADN and BSN programs.

The didactic and clinical focus of geriatric curriculum content within both associate (ADN) and baccalaureate (BSN) schools of nursing in California was reviewed. Geriatric nursing content experts confirmed the detail of a geriatric nursing curriculum, then determined which of the content items were basic to both educational levels, and which might be appropriately deferred to programs of baccalaureate preparation. Nurse educators may use the results of this study to guide curriculum development in both depth and breadth of content.     

Increasing RN-BSN enrollments: facilitating articulation through curriculum reform

Increasing enrollments in nursing programs is one method to deal with the shortage of nurses. However, the majority of these new graduates will be educated at the associate degree in nursing (ADN) level. The need to increase the number of nurses educated at the baccalaureate (BSN) level is significant. Research has shown that patient outcomes can be attributed to higher levels of nursing education. A viable way to increase the volume of BSN graduates is to promote statewide and mandated articulation agreements and create an environment where academic progression is facilitated. The initial step in the process of implementing articulation agreements is to bring together nursing educators at the BSN and ADN level to assess prerequisites, transfer credits, and evaluate overall curriculum. This article reviews the current trends in registered nurse-BSN curriculum at 13 public 4-year universities in California and discusses the potential opportunities to reform curriculum and facilitate articulation.     

Role strain of clinical nursing faculty

A survey was conducted of 226 clinical faculty from associate (ADN) and baccalaureate (BSN) degree programs in the Midwest. The purpose of the research was to examine role strain among clinical nursing faculty. Although clinical faculty experienced overall a low degree of role strain, they reported role overload and conflict. BSN faculty had more interrole conflict (t = 2.57, df = 215, P = .01) and role ambiguity (t = 2.37, df = 215, P = .01) than ADN faculty. Faculty with doctorates teaching clinical courses had higher role strain scores than other faculty. Teachers at the sophomore level reported the most role strain compared with teaching other levels of students. As expected, full-time faculty had significantly more role strain and demands on them compared with part-time clinical faculty. Findings from the research provide a framework for faculty orientation and development programs and highlight the importance of learning how to balance the demands and responsibilities of clinical teaching.     

Encouraging associate degree nursing students to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing: The faculty role

Faculty in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs have unique opportunities to encourage and guide students to continue their nursing education. At a time when the nursing profession needs advanced clinical leaders and educators, the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) provides ADN graduates a stepping stone to advanced education and career opportunities. Faculty approaches to encourage ongoing student education, organized from the theory of adult learning by M. S. Knowles (1970), are provided. These include engaging students in the process, showing how the BSN can be relevant to students' lives, and assisting students in finding a BSN program that fits their lifestyle.     

Personality traits valued by practicing nurses and measured in nursing students

Human relationships are inherent in professional nursing practice, and are influenced by personality traits of the nurse. The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of personality traits desirable for nurses that could be used as a basis for preprofessional guidance and for teaching strategies that would promote the development of these traits. Nurses from four states indicated the level of personality traits desirable for nurses, based on Personality Research Form (PRF) definitions. The PRF was then administered to both associate degree (ADN) and baccalaureate degree (BSN) students. Although some differences were demonstrated, the level desired by the nurses was congruent with student scores, and the scores of ADN and BSN students at point of entry and on completion of their nursing education did not significantly differ for the majority of the traits measured.     

Determining the Rate of Educational Advancement of Associate Degree Nursing Graduates: A Replicable Method to Establish the ADN as a Pathway to the Baccalaureate in Nursing

This article reports on the initial analysis of a database constructed to track the educational advancement of graduates’ of a public associate degree nursing (ADN) consortium in the northeast United States. This study offers a valid, reliable, and replicable method for ADN programs to determine the frequency and rate of the educational advancement of graduates to demonstrate a critical program outcome measure and to show that these programs are contributing to the educational progression of the nation’s nursing workforce. In addition, this research represents a contribution to the body of evidence for a new paradigm of nursing education that demonstrates the ADN as a clear pathway to the BSN, essential to reach 80% BSN by 2020. The alignment of demographic and academic variables with educational advancement is a recommendation for further study.     

Study of Gerontological Nursing Curriculum

The purpose of this study was: (i) to survey the present status of the gerontological nursing course in 3‐year diploma programs, baccalaureate degree programs (BSN), and graduate programs in Korea; and (ii) to analyze the contents of the syllabus, credits, clinical practise, and gerontological nursing textbooks used within these programs, so as to provide basic data for developing a standard model for a gerontological nursing curriculum. Primary data were collected from all the nursing programs in Korea, from November 2000 to February 2001, by way of mail and fax. Data on the detailed contents of the gerontological nursing curriculum were collected from those programs that had a gerontological nursing course. The results of the study revealed that 36 diploma programs (58%), 40 BSN (80%), and 17 graduate programs (63%) offered gerontological nursing courses. The credits of the gerontological nursing course offered, by program, were found to be: one credit (10 diploma programs, eight BSN programs), two credits (22 diploma programs, 29 BSN programs) and three credits (one BSN program). The gerontological nursing courses were found to be taught mostly by adult health nursing professors. The contents of gerontological nursing curricula were analyzed by comparison with the core curriculum of NGNA. The majority of the nursing schools were found to include the following: gerontological nursing in general; theory of aging; aging processes; care plan options; and common health problems. Legal/ethical issues; evaluation; regulatory and reimbursement issues; education issues; nursing research in gerontology; and environment issues of older adults were not covered in most of the programs. Differences were noted between ADN, BSN, and graduate school curricula. However, similar curriculum contents were found among the undergraduate programs, suggesting that these curricula used gerontological nursing textbooks as references.     

Analyzing the teaching effectiveness of clinical nursing faculty of full- and part-time generic BSN, LPN-BSN, and RN-BSN nursing students.

Effective clinical teaching has been a focus for scrutiny across the health-care disciplines. Nursing researchers have investigated students' and faculty members' views of effective clinical teaching. Various students (diploma, ADN, BSN) and their respective faculty have been studied, and some investigators have researched opinions of part-time students. No study was available that analyzed effective clinical teaching from the perspectives of students representing various formats of nursing education (basic BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN students) and whether they were full or part time. The purpose of the study was to examine full- and part-time basic BSN, LPN-BSN, and RN-BSN students' ratings of effective clinical teaching behaviors. A stratified sample (n = 198) of baccalaureate nursing students (basic, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN) who represented both full- and part-time attendees was obtained. Students were informed about the study's purpose and asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and two instruments, by Knox and Mogan [Knox, J. E., & Mogan, J. (1985). Important clinical teaching behaviors as perceived by university nursing faculty, students, and graduates. The Journal of Nursing Education , 10, 295-301] and Zimmerman and Westfall [Zimmerman, L., & Westfall, J. (1988). The development and validation of a scale measuring effective clinical teaching behaviors. The Journal of Nursing Education , 27, 274-277], measuring perceptions of effective clinical teaching. Responses to open-ended questions were recorded on one instrument. Data were analyzed using summary and inferential statistics utilizing SPSS version 12.0. Responses to open-ended questions were thematically analyzed. Findings from the study demonstrated that part-time students rated their clinical instructors statistically significantly higher in effective clinical teaching and associated subscales. Type of student (basic BSN, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN) did not affect students' ratings. Type of program format and type of student did not interact to affect ratings at a statistically significant level. Implications for nursing education, administration, and future research are delineated.     

Student-Centered Curricular Revisions to Facilitate Transition from Associate Degree in Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education

Curricular revision is an ongoing process. This article reports on curricular redesign process that facilitates transition from associate degree in nursing (ADN) to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) education. Revisions were based on; course mapping to meet the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials of Baccalaureate Education, review of ADN content duplication, and consideration of student feedback. This article adds to the body of knowledge on registered nurse (RN)-to-BSN curriculum content, revision methods, and support of the seamless transition of students to meet challenges posed by the Institute of Medicine report.     

Who’s uncivil to who? Perceptions of incivility in pre-licensure nursing programs

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in the perceptions of uncivil behaviors among nursing students and faculty according to pre-licensure nursing program types, and if there were any relationships in reported uncivil behaviors to the variables of age, gender, ethnic/racial background, and parental level of education. The sample was a convenience sample of 159 pre-licensure senior nursing students and 14 nursing faculty from four schools of nursing in the northeastern United States: two Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, one Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, and one hospital-based diploma nursing program. The nursing students and nursing faculty were administered a mixed method, validated survey instrument, the Incivility in Nursing Education (INE) Survey (Clark et al., 2009). The results of the survey identified similarities and differences between the BSN, ADN, and diploma nursing programs for both the perceptions and experiences of uncivil behaviors, however no significant differences were found between the demographic variables and the occurrence of uncivil behaviors.     

The NCLEX-RN and nurse educators.

The involvement of nurse educators with recent NCLEX-RN changes was studied. One hundred and twenty administrators from associate (ADN) and baccalaureate (BSN) degree programs across the country responded to a questionnaire regarding educator knowledge about, involvement in, and opinion of the change process. Findings revealed that administrators from both program types felt ill-informed regarding NCLEX-RN changes prior to their implementation, and they expressed a desire to have had input in the change process. While administrators had varied opinions regarding the passing standard change and the content change, they were strongly opposed to the manner in which change occurred.