Formal nursing focused academic practice partnerships for advancing nursing research and scholarship: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: This scoping review protocol will be used to map the evidence regarding structure and organization of formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships in Canada and globally. DESIGN: This scoping review will adhere to guidance provided by Chapter 11 of the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Scoping Reviews guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review extension checklist. METHODS: Evidence will be eligible for inclusion if published in English, within the last 10 years, and available in full text. Databases will be searched for published literature and unpublished grey literature. DISCUSSION: This protocol provides guidance on conducting a scoping review on formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships. The review will enhance understanding of the structure and organization of formal nursing undergraduate focused academic practice partnerships, informing the design and work of future partnerships. This protocol is registered in the Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JCTRM.

Design and Implementation of a Nursing Capstone Across a Multisite Health System.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created profound effects in nursing education. Using a robust academic-practice partnership, a college of nursing and a health care organization collaborated to launch Jefferson Capstone Experience (JCE), an education delivery model that included a one-to-one, 108-hour clinical preceptorship between an experienced RN and an undergraduate nursing student. METHOD: The expedited design, implementation, and evaluation of JCE is described. The mixed-method program evaluation included surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students, faculty, and preceptors. RESULTS: Students and preceptors reported high levels of satisfaction with JCE. All parties emphasized the importance of clear and timely communication, academic practice collaboration, and organization. A significant number of capstone graduates accepted a position with a capstone clinical partner. CONCLUSION: Although the logistics of planning and implementation were challenging, an immersive and largely positive experience was created for undergraduate students, which created a robust hiring pipeline of new-to-practice nurses. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):292-297.].

Community, Public, and Population Health Content in Nursing Curricula: National Survey Results.

BACKGROUND: Policy, societal, and system changes are prompting nursing programs to expand population health content in curricula. This study examined the current state of community, public, and population health (CPPH) education in nursing curricula throughout the United States. METHOD: This descriptive study examined CPPH education in nursing programs nationally. A survey was developed and distributed to nursing programs from January to May 2021. RESULTS: CPPH content integration occurred across all program levels, and the majority of the participants were involved in the development of CPPH-specific curriculum. Programs experienced reductions in CPPH curriculum due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lack of experienced faculty, budget constraints, and an emphasis on acute care. CONCLUSION: The continuation of CPPH education in current nursing curricula is critical. National and academic nursing organizations must continue to monitor CPPH content in nursing curricula to assure a competent CPPH nursing workforce. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):282-291.].

The Effect of Interprofessional Education on Student Readiness for Collaborative Practice.

BACKGROUND: Health care reform promotes interprofessional patient-centric health care models associated with improved population health outcomes. Interprofessional education (IPE) programs are necessary to cultivate collaborative care, yet little evidence exists to support IPE pedagogy within nursing and other health science academia. METHOD: This quasiexperimental study examined differences in pre- and posttest Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) scores following an IPE intervention. The IPE intervention consisted of a video presentation and a debriefing session after a simulated interprofessional collaborative patient care conference that introduced baccalaureate nursing and health science students to the roles and responsibilities of clinicians in team-based primary care. Pre- and postintervention RIPLS scores were analyzed. RESULTS: Pre- and postintervention RIPLS scores increased across all subscales, with distinct variation between nursing and health science student subscales. CONCLUSION: This IPE intervention had positive effects on students' readiness for interprofessional learning. Additional research is warranted to support health science pedagogy. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):304-311.].

Empowering Nursing Students to Adopt and Embody Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare.

This paper presents an international academic partnership in teaching and research with two case studies. The cases explore the integration of Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare (SBNH) and SBNH-Leadership (SBNH-L) in nursing science programs. SBNH values and foundations were integrated within an undergraduate-level community health course in Canada and SBNH-L was introduced into a graduate-level program in Brazil. Both cases comprise active learning activities promoting the uptake of the values and foundations of SBNH and the capacity to identify strengths and innate capacities. This paper synthesizes the issues and provides recommendations to enhance teaching-learning strategies to support SBNH adoption by students to support the humanization of healthcare. International partnerships in education and research and facilitating factors are discussed.

Exploring Interprofessional Collaboration in Teaching Between Nursing and Physical Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Integrating interprofessional concepts and competencies in the classroom teaches students to perform successfully in complex interprofessional care environments. There is little information regarding the effects of interprofessional collaboration in education utilizing faculty and students from other disciplines. METHOD: Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Survey (SCLS) scores and written responses were collected from 31 nursing students to explore nursing students' perceptions of an interprofessional collaboration in teaching between nursing and physical therapist (PT) educators. RESULTS: Nursing students' SCLS scores were higher on days where PT educators participated in teaching students. Analysis of written responses revealed five themes: appreciation of an outside expert perspective, enhanced self-efficacy with patient mobility skills, opportunity for interprofessional collaboration, satisfaction with the learning experience, and conflicting information. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional collaboration in teaching resulted in high levels of satisfaction and self-confidence and provided an opportunity to work toward an aspect of core competency for interprofessional collaborative practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(6):402-404.].

Competency-Based Education in RN to BSN Programs.

BACKGROUND: The call for nursing education reform has never been louder. National organizations recognize the urgent need to prepare nursing students to practice competently, moving away from traditional teaching and curricula and to competency-based education (CBE) strategies to prepare future nurses for independent clinical practice. PROBLEM: The 2021 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials do not account for the competencies achieved in registered nurse (RN) associate degree and diploma programs. This presents a challenge for RN to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program administrators and faculty when designing curricula to meet the new Essentials . APPROACH: The Essentials crosswalk created by the National RN-Baccalaureate Faculty Forum serves as a foundational guide for the development of the template models discussed in this article. CONCLUSION: This article provides a template of instructional models for implementing CBE in RN to BSN programs.

Virtual Reality Simulation Integration in a Prelicensure Nursing Program: Lessons Learned.

BACKGROUND: Simulation, whether conducted live or through virtual technologies, provides students with experiential learning by replicating realistic clinical experiences that can develop learner competencies in a safe environment. Virtual reality simulation may provide the same level of effective and engaging experiential learning in a fully immersive learning environment without many of the limitations inherent to traditional live simulation environments, such as simulation equipment and designated labs. PROBLEM: While there are vendor-provided resources and a new tool kit covering immersive technology simulation implementation in nursing, a lived example to contextualize the implementation process is missing from the literature. APPROACH: This article discusses the selection and implementation of virtual reality simulations in a nursing undergraduate program and lessons learned in the process. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse educators seeking such experiences for their students may benefit from the insights shared in this article.

Learning Environments in Undergraduate Nursing Education During COVID-19: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed nursing education. PURPOSE: To map the existing literature on learning environments (LEs) in undergraduate nursing education during COVID-19 and identify the LE elements based on the 4 domains of Gruppen's conceptual framework: personal, social, organizational, and physical and virtual spaces. METHOD: Eligible articles were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs framework. RESULTS: The search retrieved 5003 articles, of which 80 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in the United States. Of the studies included, 68 studies focused on the personal component of students, 67 investigated physical and virtual space components, 19 examined the social domain, and 15 examined organizational aspects. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced the LE of nursing students. Based on the current review of LE in nursing education, nurse educators and researchers can develop interventions to maintain the quality and accessibility of nursing education in future crises.

Practical Implications of Online Learning with Nurses During Coronavirus Disease 2019.

This study explores how teaching practices were impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a fully online nursing program. In-depth interviews were conducted of faculty in an online nursing program. The findings of the study suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for the faculty members, but still they considered it an opportunity for personal and professional growth; they used this disruption to humanize their teaching practices by focusing on self-care to support their students in the challenging times of a global pandemic. The members also mentioned institutional support was crucial for their perseverance, growth, and job satisfaction.

An Innovative Academic/Practice Partnership to Support Nursing Workforce Needs and Student Clinical Education.

ABSTRACT: Innovation is needed to solve nursing workforce issues during times of crisis. A collaborative effort between a hospital system and several universities resulted in the Bridge to Professional Practice Program that was implemented during a period of high patient volume and nursing student downtime. The program provided support for staffing needs and clinical hours to promote readiness for practice for students. The program evaluation outcomes and recommendations for improvement are addressed.

The Nursing Baccalaureate Dual Enrollment Model: Outcomes for A Community College and University Partnership.

The dual enrollment model in which universities collaborate with community colleges to provide the prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) education has been identified by the National Academy of Medicine as one of 5 viable academic progression models for transforming nursing education. The New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium (NMNEC) is a successful example of the dual enrollment model, which began in 2015 with one partnership. By 2018, 3 universities and 5 community colleges had partnered to offer the BSN jointly with the community college locations. In this retrospective, descriptive study, the 2 program types were compared to assess for differences in demographic and academic characteristics as well as program outcomes for the BSN graduates (n = 1018) from 2015 to 2018. The results of the analysis show that NMNEC has been successful in increasing the total number and diversity of BSN graduates for New Mexico. Importantly, NMNEC serves as an exemplar academic-practice partnership model because the success of the consortium would not have been possible without the involvement of practice partners. The outcomes from this study support academic-practice partnerships as instrumental in developing a better educated and more diverse nursing workforce that will improve patient outcomes and strive for health equity.

Improving mental health education in nursing school.

ABSTRACT: Nurses are at the forefront of providing care to individuals with mental illness in various healthcare settings, yet the World Health Organization and others have found that many nurses are inadequately prepared to provide mental health care. This article discusses the nurse's role in providing care to individuals with mental illness and the importance of integrating more mental health education into undergraduate nursing curricula.

Innovative approaches to teaching vascular access to nursing students in the COVID-19 era.

PURPOSE: For the student nurse, peripheral venous cannulation is one of the most stressful skills to be learned. Although some healthcare employers/establishments offer courses on vascular access and infusion nursing as part of their onboarding programs, ultimately educational institutions should share the responsibility to ensure that graduating nurses can provide safe infusion therapies. METHODS: An innovative vascular access and infusion nursing (VAIN) curriculum was created and mapped onto the entry to practice undergraduate nursing program at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. This presented an opportunity to implement new teaching approaches. RESULTS: Students experienced multiple new teaching approaches including multimedia and experiential learning and live simulation to ensure acquisition of knowledge and psychomotor skills. The teaching approaches had to be rapidly modified with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The VAIN curriculum emphasizes simulation and directed practice, seeking to increase competence, confidence, and knowledge. The pandemic underscored the need for flexibility and creativity in content delivery.

Developing and piloting a simulated placement experience for students.

COVID-19 and rising student numbers are affecting healthcare education, particularly access to clinical placements. As healthcare education is increasingly supported by technology and non-traditional teaching methods, educational experiences gained through clinical placement also require new approaches. This article explores and discusses the use of a simulated clinical placement for a dietetic student cohort. During this virtual placement, students were able to explore and experience a virtual clinical setting and immerse themselves in a placement experience. A vast range of virtual resources were linked to the online placement portal, including statutory and mandatory training, dietetic resources, patient journeys and interprofessional communication. Advantages of this approach include that all students experience a given situation, unlike in traditional placements where workloads, variety and engagement vary; there is also no risk to patient safety. The aim is to enhance the learning experience to create effective, efficient clinicians. This virtual placement for dietetics is part of a bigger project to develop and evaluate the use of a virtual placement framework in a range of professions. The concept of virtual placement may have been brought forward by the COVID-19 crisis but was inevitable with the move to more technology-enhanced learning tools.

Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions on nursing education during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic: A national sample.

BACKGROUND: In 2020, nursing educational programs were abruptly interrupted and largely moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PURPOSE: To explore nursing students' perspectives about the effects of the pandemic on their education and intention to join the nursing workforce. METHODS: Undergraduate nursing students from 5 universities across 5 United States regions were invited to participate in an online survey to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data. FINDINGS: The final sample included quantitative data on 772 students and qualitative data on 540 students. Largely (65.1%), students reported that the pandemic strengthened their desire to become a nurse; only 11% had considered withdrawing from school. Qualitatively, students described the effect of the pandemic on their psychosocial wellbeing, adjustment to online learning, and challenges to clinical experiences. CONCLUSION: Findings highlighted the need to develop emergency education preparedness plans that address student wellbeing and novel collaborative partnerships between schools and clinical partners.