Impact of ELNEC-undergraduate curriculum on associate degree nursing student primary palliative care knowledge

BackgroundPrimary palliative care (PPC) education is deficient in nursing curricula. The Endof-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) curricula are frequently utilized PPC educational interventions; however, there is limited evidence exploring the impact of the new undergraduate curriculum on student knowledge.PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine the impact of ELNEC-Undergraduate curriculum on associate degree nursing students’ knowledge of PPC.MethodsThe quasi-experimental study implemented a pretest/posttest design with a single cohort of associate degree nursing students enrolled in their final semester. Knowledge was assessed using the Undergraduate Nursing Palliative Care Knowledge Survey. Paired sample ttests analyzed change in knowledge. Hierarchical linear regressions analyzed the effect of student demographics on knowledge.ResultsKnowledge significantly increased after the implementation of the ELNECUndergraduate curriculum. No significant effects of demographic variables were identified.ConclusionThe ELNEC-Undergraduate curriculum is effective in improving associate degree nursing students’ knowledge of PPC.     

Blended learning in undergraduate nursing education – A scoping review

ObjectivesTo provide a comprehensive scoping review of the existing literature regarding the use of blended learning in undergraduate nursing education. To align the varied educational terms and definitions with the broad definition of blended learning.DesignScoping review following established methodology.Data sourcesIn consultation with library services, the academic literature was searched. Electronic databases searched included ERIC (OVID), Medline (OVID), PubMed, Nursing and Allied Health, and CINAHL Plus.Review methodsA total of 189 potentially relevant nursing research articles published between the years of 2009 and 2019. Three reviewers independently reviewed the articles, leaving 37 relevant primary articles in the nursing field to be included in the scoping review.ResultsNursing content delivered using blended learning approaches were organized into 8 themes. Themes include Professional Nursing Skills; Mental Health Nursing; Bioscience; Pharmacology, Specialty Populations; Nursing Assessment; Acute Care Nursing; and the Art of Nursing. A variety of blended learning approaches are being utilized in Undergraduate nursing education, the majority of which are happening in the classroom.ConclusionThis scoping review presents explicit the degrees to which blended learning is referred to in the nursing education literature and expanded the definition of blended learning to encompass the terminology associated with distributed, decentralized, hybrid, and flexible learning. There is a wide, varied, and expanding number of blended learning approaches currently being utilized in nursing education to teach a wide range of nursing content and skills. An expanded scoping review focused on blended learning in psychiatric nursing, licenced practical nursing, nurse practitioners, and all graduate level nursing education programs is recommended as is additional research into the use of blended learning in the lab or clinical setting.     

The inclusion of cognitive behavioural therapeutic components in the undergraduate nursing curriculum. A systematic integrative review of the evidence

BackgroundDespite the increasing evidence base for the use of cognitive behavioural interventions in nursing, the extent to which therapeutic interventions and their components are included in the undergraduate curriculum in Australia remains unclear.ObjectivesTo explore if and how cognitive behavioural components are being taught to undergraduate nursing students to deliver outcome benefits to students and patients.DesignAn integrative literature review reporting links between CBT components and methods taught in pre-registration nurse education.Findings and conclusionBased on an analysis of current literature, it is suggested that evidence-based cognitive behavioural components are being taught to undergraduate nursing students. The study reports that teaching cognitive behavioural components can bring clinical benefits to positive patient outcome, to student wellbeing and study performance. However, the teaching of cognitive behavioural conceptual models as a therapeutic skill was found to be limited. Recommendations to incorporate a simple, evidence based cognitive behavioural conceptual tool, highlights how nurse educators can address the requirement to teach from the current evidence base.     

Incorporating medication administration safety in undergraduate nursing education: A literature review

ObjectiveThe purpose of this review was to identify methods for incorporating medication administration safety in undergraduate nursing education.DesignThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines directed this review.Data SourcesA search of four electronic databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Education Resources Information Center, Google Scholar, and MedLine/PubMed MedLine/PubMed) as well as hand searches were conducted to identify original research published between 2005 and 2018.Review MethodsOriginal empirical research describing a method for incorporating medication administration safety concepts in nursing education and examining its effectiveness on undergraduate nursing students' outcomes were selected for review. Articles describing medication safety education for graduate students, students other than those in nursing, and practicing nurses were excluded.ResultsTwelve original research articles were included for review. Three methods for incorporating medication administration safety in undergraduate nursing education were identified: simulation experiences, technology aids, and online learning modules. Most studies were conducted in North America. The use of different interventions as well as different outcome measures was noted as a limitation to the collective body of research in this area. Also, there was a lack of information regarding psychometric properties of instruments used among the studies reviewed.ConclusionSimulation experiences, use of technology aids, and online learning modules helped increase medication safety competence of nursing students. However, simulation equipment, select technology aids, and online learning may not be available for all nursing programs; therefore, educators should consider developing and testing classroom-based educational interventions. Moreover, future researchers should use or develop psychometrically sound instruments to measure nursing students' outcomes including competencies about medication administration safety.     

The Ottawa model for nursing curriculum renewal: An integrative review

BackgroundHigh-quality and relevant nursing education is needed to ensure graduates meet entry to practice competencies. Despite the important role of curricula in the development of nurses and the nursing profession, there does not appear to be a consistent or widely accepted approach to nursing curriculum renewal.ObjectiveTo identify and synthesize existing curriculum renewal/redesign practices, create an aggregated logic model depicting an evidence-informed process for nursing curriculum renewal, and stimulate dialogue about how to keep nursing curricula relevant in an ever-changing healthcare context.DesignAn integrative review, modeled on the Joanna Briggs Methodology of Systematic Reviews, of the available published articles, including empirical research and discussion articles.Data sourcesWe searched for quantitative, qualitative, and non-research literature (English and French) on full nursing programs or curriculum revisions for pre-licensure nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate or associate degree program. Databases included CINAHL, Nursing and Allied Health, and Medline from January 2010 to January 2017. We then did a hand search for articles from January 2017 to April 2019.SynthesisExtracted data were synthesized into an aggregated logic model based on Yin's method of cross-case analysis. Data included information about the internal context, the external context, drivers, the preparatory phase, the active phase, outcomes, and evaluation methods of the described curriculum renewal process.ResultsTwenty articles were included, which were published between 2010 and 2018. The resulting logic model, The Ottawa Model for Nursing Curriculum Renewal, includes information on the context, process and outcomes of the renewal process, and how and when to evaluate curricula.ConclusionThis synthesis aids in defining the process of curriculum renewal for undergraduate nursing education. It stimulates systems level thinking and reveals gaps, such as the need for further research into curriculum evaluation. The Ottawa Model for Nursing Curriculum Renewal is a usable template to aid educators undertaking their own process of curriculum renewal.     

Nursing informatics and undergraduate nursing curricula: A scoping review protocol

AimThis scoping review aims to review contemporary published literature on Nursing Informatics education in undergraduate nursing education.IntroductionNursing is the largest workforce in health care and nurses are increasingly required to work with digital information systems. The need for nurses to understand and embrace information technology is closely linked with the ability to function in the contemporary healthcare workplace. However, despite the early adoption of Nursing Informatics in Australia in the 1980 s, there remain barriers to Nursing Informatics engagement and proficiency, including poor computer literacy, limited professional development and a lack of undergraduate informatics education.DesignThis scoping review will be developed in adherence with the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Scoping Reviews and the PRISMA-ScR Checklist.MethodsTo be included in this scoping review, papers need to include Nursing Informatics education for undergraduate nursing students in a Bachelor of Nursing program. Undergraduate nursing students are defined as individuals enrolled in a recognised nursing program leading to registration as a Nurse. To meet the requirements for registration as a Registered Nurse, in Australia, individuals are required to complete a Bachelor of Nursing program at a university (Australian Qualifications Framework Level 7) For the purpose of this scoping review, undergraduate nursing students are defined as those individuals undertaking a three year Bachelor of Nursing program at a university. Equivalent international definitions will be also used in the scoping review procedure. Sources of information will be included if they were published between 2015 and 2022 and describe curriculum recommendations (including barriers to implementing Nursing Informatics education). The purpose of the identified timespan is to reflect the rapidly evolving nature of health informatics and digital technologies. The requirement for curriculum recommendations is to reflect the purpose of the scoping review as the basis for a Delphi study, where Nursing Informatics and its integration into Bachelor of Nursing curricula will be explored and described in collaboration with domain experts.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained for this scoping review (Project ID: 2156) from the Flinders University’s Human Research Ethics Committee and has been determined to be low risk.     

Current assessment of patient safety education

The purpose of this literature review was to examine current evidence on how student nurses and nursing faculty members perceived the integration of patient safety education in preregistration/undergraduate nursing training. Databases searched from January 2000 to April 2011 included CINAHL, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, PubMed, AMED, Academic Science, Midline, Cochrane Library Database, Web of Knowledge, Ovid Nursing Database, Wiley Online Library and Science Direct. In total, 77 articles were initially found, although only 15 were included in the author's review. Of these, 5 papers were research-based articles that examined aspects of patient safety education in undergraduate/pre-registration nursing training, and 9 papers were literature review and discussion based, which provided insight into the experience, assessment, evaluation or implementation of patient safety education curriculum in nursing education. The author's literature review highlights the continuing lack of research on patient safety education in undergraduate/preregistration nursing training and, in particular, outlines areas in nursing education which need to be addressed to develop patient-safety-friendly nursing curricula.     

Nursing students' intentions to use research as a predictor of use one year post graduation: A prospective study

BackgroundGraduating nursing students are expected to have acquired the necessary skills to provide research-based care to patients. However, recent studies have shown that new graduate nurses report their extent of research use as relatively low. Because behavior intention is a well-known predictor of subsequent behavior, this gives reasons to further investigate graduating nursing students’ intentions to use research in clinical practice after undergraduate study.ObjectivesTo investigate graduating nursing students’ intentions to use research in clinical practice and, furthermore, to investigate whether intention in itself and as a mediating variable can predict subsequent research use behavior in clinical practice one year post graduation.DesignA follow-up study was performed of graduating nursing students in their final semester of undergraduate study (2006) and at one year post graduation (2008). Data were collected within the larger national survey LANE (Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education).ParticipantsA sample of 1319 respondents was prospectively followed.MethodsGraduating nursing students’ intentions to use research instrumentally were studied as a predictor of their subsequent instrumental research use one year post graduation. A statistical full mediation model was tested to evaluate the effects of intention and factors from undergraduate study on subsequent research use in daily care.ResultsThirty-four percent of the nursing students intended to use research on more than half or almost every working shift in their future clinical practice. Intention showed a direct effect on research use behavior. In addition, significant indirect effects on research use were shown for capability beliefs (regarding practicing the principles of evidence-based practice) and perceived support for research use (from campus and clinical education), where intention acted as a mediating factor for those effects.ConclusionsStudents rated a modest level of intention to use research evidence. Intentions close to graduation acted as an essential predictor of subsequent research use behavior, both through a direct effect and as a mediating variable. These findings give support for designing future interventions aiming at influencing students’ intention to use research to improve subsequent behavior. Focusing on strengthening students’ capability beliefs and providing support for research use appear as promising target activities.     

Effects of peer-mentoring on stress and anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review

BackgroundNursing students, whether undergraduate or graduate, are at a higher risk for stress and anxiety due to competitiveness and complexities of nursing school. There is evidence in the literature on the effects of peer mentoring among nursing students. Peer mentoring has been associated with increased retention, student engagement, and skills competence among nursing students. There is, however, paucity in the literature about peer mentoring's effect on stress and anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students.PurposeTo examine the literature on the effect of peer mentoring on stress and anxiety levels among undergraduate nursing students.Theoretical frameworkBandura's Self-Efficacy Theory was used to guide this review.MethodAn integrative review of the literature was conducted. Electronic databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and ERIC using keywords: nurse*, student*, undergrad*, stress and nursing students, anxiety and nursing students, and mentor*. Review was limited to peer reviewed articles published in the English language from January 2000 to August 2018. Articles were independently reviewed by three authors, and the quality of data was evaluated using established criteria.ResultsEight articles were included in the review. Review suggested that peer mentoring decreases stress, and situation or short-term anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students. However, results should be interpreted with caution based on limited studies identified.     

Transformative learning in nursing education: A concept analysis

ObjectiveThere is vast literature on transformative learning, which is an important aspect of nursing education, but its meaning remains unclear. It is therefore important to clarify the meaning of transformative learning, identify its attributes, antecedents and consequences to increase its use in nursing education, practice and research.MethodsWalker and Avant’s method was used, and the process provided a structured way to analyse the concept of ‘transformative learning’. Nursing education dictionaries, encyclopaedias, conference papers, research articles, dissertations, theses, journal articles, thesauri and relevant books through the database library and internet searches were reviewed. One hundred and two literature sources were reviewed, and data saturation was reached.ResultsThe results of the concept analysis of transformative learning within the context of nursing education identified three categories, namely, 1)Antecedents as cognitive and affective perspective, democratic education principles and inspiration; 2)Process through three phases, namely i) awareness through self-reflection, ii) the meaningful interactive, integrative and democratic construction process, and iii) metacognitive reasoning abilities; and 3)Outcomes. A theoretical definition of transformative learning was formulated. Theoretical validity was ensured.ConclusionThe results of the concept analysis of transformative learning were used to describe a model to facilitate transformative learning within the context of nursing education.     

Strategies used for the promotion of critical thinking in nursing undergraduate education: A systematic review

ObjectiveIdentifying the strategies used to promote critical thinking (CT) during undergraduate education in nursing courses.DesignSystematic review.Source of DataFive electronic databases were searched without language, publication time or geographic filters.MethodA systematic review of the literature. Including experimental studies that considered at least one teaching strategy to promote critical thinking of undergraduate students in Nursing courses. The search for studies occurred in three phases: title and summary review, complete text and implementation of a clinical form of selection according to predetermined criteria. All included studies were assessed for quality through a classification tool for experimental studies.ResultsSix studies were selected. The results were grouped into three key themes: an evaluation of the quality of the selected studies, characterization of the studies and the strategies used to promote critical thinking. All selected studies were in English, with significant conceptual similarity of Critical Thinking and dominance in choosing the approached theme during strategies in clinical nursing education with an emphasis on the nursing process.ConclusionsThe most widely used teaching intervention was Problem-Based Learning. Nursing education mediated by strategies that stimulate CT is considered a positive difference in undergraduate curriculums.     

Student engagement in flipped classroom in nursing education: An integrative review

AimTo summarize the effect of the flipped classroom method (FCM) on student engagement in nursing education and provide the implications for future practice.BackgroundTechnological advancement of learning approaches including flipped classroom has become increasingly popular in nursing education. However, no integrative review has been published that specially explore the behaviour engagement, cognitive engagement and emotional engagement of flipped classroom use in nursing education.MethodsPopulation, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study (PICOS) strategies were implemented to investigate the literature from published peer-reviewed papers from 2013 to 2021 in CINAHL, MEDLINE and Web of Science.ResultsThe initial search identified 280 potentially relevant articles. After comprehensively reviewing the initial catchment using several analytical phases, 16 articles were considered for the final review. Most of articles targeted on undergraduate nursing students and were conducted in the USA and Australia. The review primarily identified positive learning outcomes among nursing students in term of student engagement. However, a few studies reported contrasting findings, possibly due to students are still dependent on traditional lecture-based classroom.ConclusionThis review suggests that use of the FCM in nursing education could promote students’ behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement but yield a mixed outcome in emotional engagement. This review contributed to our understanding of the effect of the flipped classroom method on student engagement in nursing education, the strategies for promoting student engagement in future flipped classroom practice and recommendation for future research on flipped classroom.     

Experiences of nursing students during clinical education in mental health clinics: A phenomenological qualitative study

AimNursing students have both positive and negative experiences during clinical education. This study was conducted to identify experiences of nursing students during clinical education in mental health clinics.DesignThis phenomenological qualitative design study was conducted with 4th year undergraduate nursing students from a university in Turkey to identify their experiences specifically in mental health clinics.MethodsThe data were collected using focus groups interviews with 40 nursing students and assessed with the 7-stage phenomenological analysis method described by Colaizzi.ResultsThree main themes were determined: (i) the need for supportive interventions to cope with negative emotions; (ii) difficulty in translating theoretical knowledge into practice; and (iii) the lack of role model nurses and teaching staff.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that supportive interventions should be given to nursing students before clinical education. Also, the duration of clinical education, the teaching methods to be used and role model nurses and teaching staff effectiveness in clinical education should be planned carefully.     

Undergraduate nursing curricula: Numeracy and accreditation

BackgroundNumeracy skills are essential for patient safety; therefore, it is vital that registered nurses are proficient in performing calculations, notably medication calculations. However, the literature indicates that a large proportion of undergraduate nursing students and registered nurses are not competent in numeracy. The manifestation of numerical and calculation errors is thought to stem from failing to comprehend key mathematical principles from primary or secondary school, as well as the minimal admission requirements to enter nursing programs. Tertiary education providers teach and assess numeracy within nursing programs using a diverse range of pedagogical and instructional approaches. These programs of nursing study are underpinned by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council standards, and lead to nursing registration in Australia. These accreditation standards do not incorporate numeracy, placing the onus on the tertiary education providers to design content and assessment types, as well as establish a benchmark to gauge the competence of the student prior to graduating.QuestionWhy the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council does not require graduates to demonstrate numeracy proficiency, and why there are no recommendations for undergraduate numeracy content and assessment in Australia.MethodAn exploratory sequential mixed methods design across 5 stages will be used.FindingsNo data has been collected to date.DiscussionNo discussion has been written to date.ConclusionTo contribute knowledge to improve the competence of undergraduate nursing students in relation to numeracy education, and ultimately the safety of Registered Nurses when calculating medications in practice.     

Eficacia de las intervenciones de enfermería para el diagnóstico “manejo inefectivo del régimen terapéutico”

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of domiciliary nursing interventions in the diagnosis of Ineffective Therapeutic Regimen Management in adults with chronic diseases.MethodA controlled clinical trial. We made the evaluation of the labels Treatment Behaviour: Illness or Injury and Knowledge: Treatment Regimen of the Nursing Outcomes Classifications. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups, the experimental group received the interventions recommended in the Nursing Interventions Classifications, and the control group received the usual care from the institution. The labels final results of two groups were compared with analysis of covariance.ResultsA difference of 1.1 points was found in the label Treatment Behaviour: Illness or Injury and of 1.5 points in the label Knowledge: Treatment Regimen when we compared the treatment and control group.ConclusionThe domiciliary nursing interventions are effective for the nursing diagnosis of Ineffective management of therapeutic regimen in adults with chronic diseases.     

Indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey: An integrative review

ObjectivesIn Australia Bachelor of Nursing programmes are delivered via both internal and distance modes yet there is little knowledge of the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with the learning journey. This integrative review was undertaken to uncover the indicators of undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey.DesignIntegrative review. A review of key papers was undertaken. Only peer-reviewed papers published in scholarly journals from 2008 onwards were included in this integrative review.Data sourcesPubmed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Wiley Online and ProQuest Central databases were searched for relevant papers.Review methods49 papers were appraised, by a minimum of two team members. CASP tools were used when evaluating qualitative research, systematic and integrated reviews while survey research was evaluated using a tool specifically developed for this purpose by the research team. All tools used to assess the quality of the research studies contained comprehensive checklists and questions relevant for the particular type of study. Data related to these checklists was extracted and the research team appraised the quality of each article based on its relevance to the topic, internal and external validity, appropriateness of data analysis technique(s), and whether ethical considerations were addressed. Seventeen papers were included in the final analysis. Data analysis involved a systematic approach using content analysis techniques.ResultsThis integrative review sought to identify indicators of nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Authentic learning, motivation, resilience, support, and collaborative learning were identified by this integrative review as being key to nursing students' satisfaction with their learning journey. Sub themes were identified within each of these themes that assist in explaining nursing students' views of their learning journey.ConclusionThe findings showed that higher satisfaction levels are attained when nursing students feel included and supported during their learning journey.     

Fourth year nursing students' perceptions of their educational preparation in medication management: An interpretative phenomenological study

BackgroundMedication safety is an integral aspect of patient safety. Nurses, as advocates of patient safety, actively consider medication safety in the course of their daily work. Hence, it is important to consider the educational preparation of nursing students in medication management, as future caregivers. There are inherent links between nurses' undergraduate educational preparation in medication management and patient safety.ObjectiveThis research study identifies fourth-year nursing students' perceptions of their educational preparation in medication management.DesignAn interpretative phenomenological methodological approach underpinned this research study.SettingThis study was conducted at a University in the West of Ireland.ParticipantsParticipants were final year students of three undergraduate nursing programmes, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (General), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Intellectual Disability) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Mental Health).MethodsFourteen semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with students on a one-to-one basis. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis.ResultsThe voices and interpretations of the participants in this study were fundamental to understanding nursing students' perceptions of their preparation in medication management and provided the foundation for this research. These perceptions were captured in the format of four themes: developing an understanding, embedding knowledge in practice, engaging in practice and accepting professional responsibility.ConclusionsFindings point to the important role of the university and the clinical placement settings in nursing students' medication management education and the need for further collaboration and development across both settings. Teaching and learning strategies which promote the integration of theory and practice throughout the four years of the undergraduate degree programme should be encouraged, such as technology enhanced learning and simulation.