Collaborative co-op as a means to expand BSN enrollment & diversity.

The collaborative co-op is an innovative option that emphasizes cultural competence and evidenced-based nursing care. This project provides four summers of more challenging and responsible experiences to enhance students' expertise in supervision and delegation with other members of the health care team. Through experiential learning, students develop an in-depth understanding of differentiated practice roles and the distinct and complimentary responsibilities of the nursing assistant, the practical nurse, and the professional nurse through this highly structured and mentored co-op clinical experience. The co-op students complete all requirements for the BSN degree along with the students enrolled in the traditional BSN program, but they also have the additional summer clinical experiences. Counseling, mentoring, and early identification of academic problems are important features of this structured program.     

Academic and clinical immersion in an accelerated nursing program to foster learning in the adult student

Second-degree accelerated nursing programs provide an expedited pathway to enter the nursing profession. Most students in such programs are adult learners with high expectations for their own performance and equally high expectations for the curriculum of the chosen program. Clinical and academic immersions are curriculum strategies that are particularly suited to the adult learner in a second-degree accelerated program. This article discusses the development of an accelerated program, with a focus on the intended and unexpected challenges and outcomes associated with planning and implementing immersion learning for academic and clinical experiences. Content linkage as a teaching strategy is also described. The immersion year enhances collaboration and socialization among students, faculty, and staff nurses.     

Academic maturity: qualifications to teach the nurse professionals of the future

In a recent survey of Queensland academic managers and graduates of pre-registration and nursing postgraduate programs, it was found that within levels of management there exists a disparity related to the minimal qualifications of educators of nurses. The preferred minimal level of academic preparation of heads of departments of nursing was generally ess than that proposed by recent consumers of tertiary education. Recent postgraduate and graduate students displayed their academic maturity through their preferences for highly qualified and academically qualified educators at all levels. The variety of educators involved in tertiary education included academics teaching within universities; clinical laboratory teachers teaching the skills of nursing practice; clinical faci itators who are responsible for groups of students in the clinical area; and clinical mentors, the clinicians who support and nurture students on a one-to-one basis. Ten managers of nursing programs (N=20), fourteen postgraduates (N=61) and 90 graduates (n=302) of Queensland tertiary nursing programs responded to the survey. While the final samples were small, the outcomes suggest increasing graduate expectations of thei educators and the need for a re-evaluation of measures of quality in academic teaching.     

Curriculum considerations for enhancing baccalaureate learning for international students

BACKGROUND: International students studying nursing in the United States present unique teaching opportunities and challenges. Student language, culture, and academic expectations are major factors for faculty to consider in delivering international education. METHODS: An RN to BSN program provides baccalaureate completion study for registered nurses residing in Israel. Students can choose to complete the final semester in the United States. FINDINGS: Israeli nursing students demonstrate a strong collectivistic orientation to their academic work. Issues related to English language fluency and academic paper preparation were identified. CONCLUSION: Success in international teaching endeavors is facilitated when faculty carefully evaluate course materials and assignments. Clarity of language, cultural expectations, and availability of academic resources are important considerations for promoting student success.     

Problem-based learning in clinical nursing education: integrating theory and practice

Over the last few decades, nursing education in Sweden has undergone many changes in its length, content, and academic level. Pedagogical developments have occurred, but not as much change has taken place in the clinical part of education. Therefore, a project was initiated to improve students' integrated learning, ability to actively search for knowledge, reflect critically, and to improve the clinical learning environment, during the clinical training part of the undergraduate nursing program at a Swedish university. This was accomplished through applying problem-based learning (PBL), supporting reflection, applying a new model for supervision, and supporting nursing preceptors. The project was carried out during clinical studies in acute care in the second year of a nursing undergraduate program. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students' and their preceptors' experiences of problem-based learning and a new model for supervision in clinical education. A total of 45 students and 30 preceptors participated by answering a questionnaire and an interview. The findings showed that the project overall was perceived positively by students and preceptors. The possibility for supervised reflection was perceived as positive by both students and preceptors, although it sometimes was difficult for preceptors to set aside time. Research-based knowledge was rarely used in clinical teaching.     

An international nursing student exchange program: an educational experience that enhanced student cognitive development

Increased attention to international nursing has lead to the development of study abroad programs for students. Participants in such programs describe the experiences as positive; however, studies of measured impact have not been reported. Student development theory provides an objective perspective from which to assess the level of cognition of undergraduate students and permits assessment of change in students' thinking maturity over time. This study documents the change of senior students' levels of cognition over one academic semester. Results indicate that those who participated in an international student nurse exchange program demonstrated significantly more growth than those who did not. As nursing moves to a global perspective, the author recommends similar evaluation of all such exchange programs.     

Nurses on the move: evaluation of a program to assist international students undertaking an accelerated Bachelor of Nursing program

This paper reports on an evaluation of a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Scheme (TALES) program designed to meet the unique need of the 2005 cohort of international nursing students undertaking an accelerated Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program at the Victorian campus of Australian Catholic University (ACU) National. The program involved a team approach with three academic mentors and the international students working together to produce satisfactory learning outcomes through fortnightly meetings and provision of additional assistance including compiling a portfolio, reflective writing, English, including colloquial English and pronunciation, as well as familiarisation with handover and abbreviations common in the clinical field, general communication, assistance with preparing a resume and participation in simulated interviews. This relatively small group of international students (20) confirmed the findings of other studies from other countries of international nursing students' in terms of concerns in regard to studying in a foreign country, namely English proficiency, communication difficulties, cultural differences and unfamiliarity with the health care environment. The assistance provided by the program was identified by the completing students as invaluable in helping them settle into study and successfully complete the theoretical and clinical components of the course.     

Clinical expectations: what facilitators expect from ESL students on clinical placement

Many nursing students for whom English is a second language (ESL) face challenges related to communication on clinical placement and although clinical facilitators are not usually trained language assessors, they are often in a position of needing to assess ESL students' clinical language performance. Little is known, however, about the particular areas of clinical performance facilitators focus on when they are assessing ESL students. This paper discusses the results of a study of facilitators' written assessment comments about the clinical performance of a small group of ESL nursing students over a two and a half year period. These comments were documented on students' clinical assessment forms at the end of each placement. The results provide a more detailed insight into facilitators' expectations of students' language performance and the particular challenges faced by ESL students and indicate that facilitators have clear expectations of ESL students regarding communication, learning styles and professional demeanour. These findings may help both ESL students and their facilitators better prepare for clinical placement.     

中外合办护理专业教育环境的调查

目的：评估中外合办护理专业本科生对教育环境的感知。方法：采用教育环境测量工具DREEM表，对本校护理专业406名本科生，其中中外合办班学生192名（涉外班），普通班学生214名进行护理专业教育环境调查，对教育环境的感知（普通班作为常模）进行比较。结果：涉外班学生对总体教育环境及学习、教师、氛围的感受和学术自我感受4个子领域相对比较满意，但在社交方面的自我感受则不乐观，而且对教育环境的感知得分低于普通班（P〈0．01）。结论：针对中外合办护理专业存在的问题，应通过提高双语教师的师资水平、精简教学内容、整合优化课程体系、增设社区康复护理课程以及营造良好的人际交往环境来实现培养目标。     

护理研究生在临床科研中的角色和作用

通过分析护理研究生在我院近5年撰写的科研项目申报书、中标与参与课题研究、在国内外学术期刊论文的发表、协助指导论文和参与国内外学术交流活动的情况,从而探讨护理研究生在医院临床科研工作中的角色和作用。     

Improving clinical communication of students with English as a second language (ESL) using online technology: A small scale evaluation study

Increasingly, students with English as a second language (ESL) are enrolled in nursing degrees in English speaking countries (Wang et al., 2008). However, they may be at risk of clinical practice failure due to communication difficulties associated with unfamiliar linguistic and cultural factors (Guhde, 2003). This paper describes and evaluates an innovation to assist ESL nursing students at an Australian university develop their clinical communication skills and practice readiness by providing online learning resources, using podcast and vodcast technology, that blend with classroom activities and facilitate flexible and independent learning. The innovation builds on an intensive clinical language workshop program called ‘Clinically Speaking’ which has evolved through a cyclical process of ongoing research to produce resources in response to students' learning needs. Whilst uptake of the resources was modest, students of ESL as well as English speaking backgrounds (ESB) found the resources improved their clinical preparation and confidence by increasing their understanding of expectations, clinical language and communication skills. The innovation, developed with a modest budget, shows potential in developing ESL and ESB students' readiness for clinical communication, enabling them to engage in clinical practice to develop competency standards required of nursing graduates and registration authorities.     

The learning experiences of international students in nursing and midwifery programs: A literature review

Globally, education continues to diversify, with a growing body of literature that describes the experiences of international higher education students. While the research includes representation from the health sciences, nursing and midwifery programs are underrepresented; understanding the experiences of international students therein may assist in determining whether discipline-specific teaching, learning and support is required. This review aims to summarise international nursing and midwifery students’ perceptions of challenge and enablement when undertaking an undergraduate or baccalaureate program. A total of 408 articles were identified and after duplicates were removed and inclusion/exclusion criteria applied, eight primary studies were included. No papers were identified that reported on the experiences of international midwifery students. For international nursing students, five themes emerged: language and culture, isolation and segregation, teaching and learning, services and support, and resilience and growth. This review concludes that the available data both affirms the existing body of knowledge around international students and illuminates unique challenges and opportunities for nursing students undertaking clinical placements. There is a need for increased language and peer support, socialisation and specially educated support staff. Research is required to identify best practice in teaching methodology for an increasingly diverse cohort and importantly, to provide a midwifery perspective.     

Promoting patient safety using electronic medical records in nursing/midwifery undergraduate curricula: Discussion paper

This discussion paper highlights the importance of Australian nursing and midwifery students’ lack of exposure to electronic medical records during their undergraduate programs. There is pressure on universities offering nursing and midwifery programs to provide students with opportunities to learn to use patient electronic medical records. This will provide authentic rehearsal with the digital technology prior to clinical placements and increase graduate work readiness.Informed by contemporary literature, we describe the benefits of implementing electronic medical records (eMR) in health organisations and identify the challenges and barriers to implementing and integrating the education of electronic records into undergraduate nursing and midwifery programs. Undergraduate students who had not experienced eMR as part of on-campus learning felt unprepared and lacked confidence when commencing clinical practice. Some international nursing and midwifery programs have found that student’s skills improve in decision-making and documenting patient observations when eMR is integrated into their university education program. Successful integration of an eMR program should consider academic/teaching staff skills and confidence in technology use, initial and ongoing costs and technical support required to deliver the program.In conclusion, Australian universities need to embed eMR learning experiences into the nursing and midwifery undergraduate curricula to increase students work-readiness with a focus on patient safety.     

Us and them: The experience of international nursing students engaged in team based learning: A qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundInternational students report multiple challenges adjusting to educational settings. Instructional strategies such as Team Based Learning (TBL), could provide international students with opportunities that promote academic success, language skills and social connectedness. However, little is known about international students' experience of TBL. The aim of this study was to explore culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students' experiences of TBL.MethodsThis paper reports on a qualitative study that explored the experiences of 15 international students enrolled in an Australian university nursing program, where TBL is used.ResultsFindings indicate that TBL promotes language proficiency and respectful intercultural connections. It also uncovered an unintentional benefit of TBL in interrupting racism towards international students from domestic students. However, it is not enough to rely on TBL to mitigate the impact of racial and cultural power dynamics in educational settings.ConclusionTo improve international student experiences, educators must actively engage students in dialogue about privilege and structural racism as it relates to international students and other people of colour.     

The experiences of students with English as a second language in a baccalaureate nursing program

Teaching nursing students with English as a second language (ESL) can be a challenge for nursing faculty in many English speaking countries. This qualitative study purported to answer the research question, "How do students with ESL describe their experiences in a nursing program"? to develop a better understanding of the reasons for their course failure. Seidman's Model of in-depth interviewing (1998) consisting of three successive interviews with the same participant was used. The first interview focused on the students' life histories, the second allowed the participants to reconstruct the details of their experiences, and the third encouraged the students to reflect on the meaning of their experiences. Three themes emerged, "walking the straight and narrow", "an outsider looking in", and "doing whatever it takes to be successful." Although each participant shared instances where ESL may have contributed to his/her academic difficulty, the participants did not perceive that ESL was the primary reason for course failure, but attributed it to the discrimination and stereotyping they experienced. In spite of the discrimination and stereotyping, participants reported a strong desire to persist in the nursing program. Findings from this study provided an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of three nursing students with ESL. Also, the findings are applicable to nursing faculty in that a better understanding of students with ESL can enhance their learning.     

Understanding and enhancing the learning experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students in an Australian bachelor of nursing program

The growth in numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students entering nursing programs in Australia presents challenges for academic and clinical staff, and most importantly the students themselves. In this paper we present the findings from a pilot study designed to explore these issues and to develop strategies to address them. This study used a qualitative explorative approach to gain rich in-depth data. Eleven culturally and linguistically diverse students, three clinical facilitators, and four academic staff participated in focus group interviews. Four major themes emerged: level of English language competence, feelings of isolation, limited opportunities for learning, and inadequate university support. The issues we identified led to a meaningful discussion of the political, financial, social and intercultural context that they are entrapped in. This paper provides educators, clinicians, policy makers and researchers with an insight where and how they commence to break the trap and highlights, the need for further research into the perspectives of Australian students' who study and socialise with their international peers.     

“It's not their fault”: Clinical facilitators' experiences supporting English as second language students

BackgroundInternational nursing students in Australia are faced with additional stress and challenges during clinical placements due to language and cultural differences. These factors can significantly impact their learning experience and personal wellbeing.AimThis study aimed to explore the clinical facilitators’ perspectives of the experiences of international nursing students and the potential strategies for improving their learning experiences during clinical placements.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative study was designed. Semistructured interviews with 14 participants were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe findings were categorised into two categories. (1) Clinical facilitators’ perspectives on the international nursing students’ experiences during the clinical placements, and (2) Clinical facilitators’ perspectives on strategies for improving the learning experience of international nursing students. Category 1 consisted of three themes: (i) Reduce self-confidence when communicating in English, (ii) Lowered perceived self-efficacy, and (iii) Looking for a sense of belonging. Category 2 consisted of five themes: (i) Nurture a supportive environment, (ii) Use validating and understanding communications, (iii) Promote acceptance of the cultural and language diversities, (iv) Use strength-based approaches, and (v) Create opportunities for transcultural socialisation.DiscussionClinical facilitators are well-positioned to support international nursing students to achieve positive learning experiences during clinical placements. More support from the university and hospital may be needed to enable clinical facilitators to effectively implement the identified potential strategies.ConclusionThe study findings provided the background for future research to upskill clinical facilitators and support them to facilitate positive experiences for international nursing students during clinical placements.