Recognising the benefits and challenges of simulated practice learning.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the soon to be published review of simulated practice learning and the messages for education provision and policy.

Mobile devices for developing nursing students' professional skills: scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: to map the scientific literature on the use of mobile devices to develop the professional skills of nursing students. METHOD: this was a scoping review guided by JBI recommendations. Six databases and gray literature were included. The selection of studies was carried out through individual and peer assessment. Data were extracted based on an elaborate script and presented in a descriptive, tabular and graphical format. RESULTS: 264 studies were identified, of which 13 comprised the corpus of analysis. The studies were carried out mainly on the Asian continent. Interventions ranged from one to 12 weeks, with a predominance of the use of Apps. The skills addressed were mainly clinical skills, techniques and procedures inherent to nursing practice, followed by decision-making and problem-solving. CONCLUSION: the studies analyzed not only revealed the potential of mobile devices in the training context, but also highlighted their contribution to improving clinical capabilities, as they offer support for a more dynamic and effective approach to the learning process. The gap in knowledge appears in the still unexplored possibility of integrating different professional skills through a single digital educational tool.

Enhancing competency-based assessment: Implementing oral boards in nursing education.

ABSTRACT: Competency-based education, pivotal in nursing programs, emphasizes learning methods over knowledge accumulation, integrating ongoing assessments for performance and outcomes. The American Association College of Nursing introduced competency-based education, urging educators to explore diverse assessment methods. This article explores the implementation of mock oral boards as an assessment method to synchronize performance standards with competencies in nursing education, specifically in preparing nurse practitioner students for clinical rotations.

Commission on collegiate nursing education standards inspire a new model of shared governance.

PURPOSE: A school of nursing re-envisioned its faculty organization structure and created a Shared Governance model based on the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Standards (CCNE). The model promotes shared decision-making and encourages nursing faculty and staff to exercise greater control over their professional endeavors. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: The Shared Governance model launched as a one semester pilot before it was formally adopted by faculty. Faculty and staff are organized into four councils, each one representing the CCNE standards: Governance, Institutional Resources, Curriculum, and Quality. The Academic Leadership Team meets regularly with Shared Governance Council Chairs to foster communication and ensure a cohesive, proactive approach to conducting school of nursing business. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The Shared Governance model has provided an excellent mechanism for new school of nursing faculty and staff to become oriented to their roles and the culture of academia. It has broken down silos and increased connections across programs and campuses. Ongoing conversations about the priority work of the school of nursing and each council's coordinated effort to document fulfillment of the Standards gave structure to preparation for our accreditation visit. The accreditation process is no longer seen as the sole responsibility of the Dean and Associate Deans.

"Pioneers, yes. We all should think that way" Improving Papua New Guinea Cancer Nurses Education through an International Partnership.

OBJECTIVES: First, to understand Papua New Guinea (PNG) oncology nursing issues perceived through the nurses' lens of unmet supportive care needs of people affected by cancer and to identify nurses' self-perceived educational priorities in cancer care. Second, to evaluate the tailored bidirectional learning and knowledge transfer among the participants of the Australia Capital Territory Health and PNG Oncology Nursing Development Program hosted in Australia in June 2023. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Two focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Based on PNG oncology nurses' experiences and self-assessed educational needs, the findings were analyzed and presented separately for Time 1 before the PNG Oncology Nursing Development program and Time 2 following the completion of the program. RESULTS: The findings from the Time 1 focus group identified four themes: (1) educational priorities, (2) system-wide challenges, (3) patient unmet care needs, and (4) cultural beliefs. After the completion of the educational program, there were four emergent themes: (1) new educational experiences, (2) learnings into practice, (3) culturally sensitive nursing, and (4) leadership (PNG nursing trailblazers). This study, for the first time, provided the PNG RNs with a "voice," to empower them to take more leading roles in important decision-making regarding care structures and management. CONCLUSION: Policymakers, government officials, and international cancer organizations must continue to work together to support cancer control in PNG in light of the current and projected limited resources and barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment in PNG. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Through observing and learning from a modern cancer department, PNG oncology nurses have gained insight into what is needed for a safe cancer service for both patients and nurses. Oncology nursing education in PNG needs to be further developed, enhanced, and supported for sustainability of cancer nurses in the long term.

Software evaluation on infant development to support teaching and professional training.

OBJECTIVE: evaluate the functional performance and technical quality of the Wise Infant Development® educational software with experts. METHOD: methodological research that followed the software evaluation process according to the ISO/IEC 25010 and NBR ISO-IEC 14598-6 standards. The software's functional performance was assessed by a group of nurse experts and its technical quality by information technology experts. The Content Validity Index and the Binomial test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: in both expert groups, agreement was greater than 70%, indicating that the software is suitable and pertinent to what was proposed in all its evaluated characteristics: functional suitability, reliability, usability, performance efficiency, compatibility, security, maintainability, and portability. The technology received suggestions for improvement, which were accepted. CONCLUSION: the Wise Infant Development® software was well evaluated by the experts and could contribute to teaching about infant development, both in undergraduate nursing courses and in professional training. HIGHLIGHTS: (1) The software presents satisfactory technical quality and functional performance. (2) Technology is useful in the students' teaching-learning process. (3) The software can be used to train child health professionals.

National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Act, 2023 in India: Issues and the Way Forward.

With the recent enactment of the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) Act, 2023, significant changes are anticipated in the scope of practice and autonomy for registered nurses and midwives in India. However, alongside these anticipated advancements, concerns have emerged regarding various aspects of the Act, necessitating critical examination. In this article, we aim to explore expected changes in nursing education and service and concerns about the NNMC Act, providing insights into the implications of the NNMC Act on the regulation and advancement of the nursing and midwifery profession in India. The Act is anticipated to introduce uniform standards, implement entry and exit examinations, recognize midwifery as a distinct discipline, and determine the scope of practice for nurses and midwives. Moreover, the implementation of the Nurse Practitioner Program and guidelines for its limited prescribing authority is anticipated. Concerns exist regarding the composition of the commission and board members, adequate stakeholder representation, lacking provisions for ensuring continued competence, working conditions of nurses and midwives, nomenclature, integrating new terms, and clearly defining roles. These concerns emphasize the need for viable career pathways, uniform cadres, and a streamlined registration system, crucial for advancing nursing and midwifery profession in India. The coexistence of concerns and anticipation highlights the complexity of enacting regulatory reforms in nursing and midwifery. Policymakers can lay the foundation for a comprehensive, inclusive regulatory system that promotes excellence in nursing and midwifery practice, ultimately benefiting both healthcare providers and patients.

Psychometric properties of the Incivility in Nursing Education - Revised Survey - Brazilian version.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the psychometric properties of the Incivility in Nursing Education - Revised Survey - Brazilian version with undergraduate nursing students. METHOD: methodological study conducted in a nursing school in São Paulo state. It is the analysis of the psychometric properties (reliability and construct validity) of the items in the INE-R survey - Brazilian version. Construct validity was performed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and reliability by test-retest in order to verify the instrument's stability, as calculated by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient and the Internal Consistency of the items according to Cronbach's alpha, ordinal alpha and McDonalds's omega coefficients. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis fitted the proposed model with two factors (low and high incivility), with a suggestion to exclude one of student items. Most of the fitting values for the student items and all of the faculty-member items complied with the references established in the literature; the values for Internal Consistency Coefficients were greater than 0.80, and Intraclasss Correlation Coefficients were greater than 0.75. CONCLUSION: the Brazilian version of the Incivility in Nursing Education - Revised Survey is validated for the studied context, as it has shown satisfactory reliability and validity by means of factor analysis, which has confirmed the original two-factor model, with 23 items addressing student behaviors and 24 items applied to faculty behaviors. HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Incivility is a global and growing phenomenon in higher education.(2) An uncivil environment interferes with learning and health indicators.(3) A validated survey to measure incivility in nursing education is presented.

Bridging School and Practice? Barriers to the Integration of 'Boundary Objects' for Learning and Assessment in Clinical Nursing Education.

Introduction: In clinical health professions education, portfolios, assignments and assessment standards are used to enhance learning. When these tools fulfill a bridging function between school and practice, they can be considered 'boundary objects'. In the clinical setting, these tools may be experienced as time-consuming and lacking value. This study aimed to investigate the barriers to the integration of boundary objects for learning and assessment from a Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) perspective in clinical nursing education. Methods: Nineteen interviews and five observations were conducted with team leads, clinical educators, supervisors, students, and teachers to obtain insight into intentions and use of boundary objects for learning and assessment. Boundary objects (assessment standards, assignments, feedback/reflection/patient care/development plan templates) were collected. The data collection and thematic analysis were guided by CHAT. Results: Barriers to the integration of boundary objects included: a) conflicting requirements in clinical competency monitoring and assessment, b) different application of analytical skills, and c) incomplete integration of boundary objects for self-regulated learning into supervision practice. These barriers were amplified by the simultaneous use of boundary objects for learning and assessment. Underlying contradictions included different objectives between school and practice, and tensions between the distribution of labor in the clinical setting and school's rules. Discussion: School and practice have both convergent and divergent priorities around students' clinical learning. Boundary objects can promote continuity in learning and increase students' understanding of clinical practice. However, effective integration requires for flexible rules that allow for collaborative learning around patient care.

Designing Evidence-based Simulation Scenarios for Clinical Practice.

Simulation-based education is a widely used teaching technique in healthcare education. Simulation can provide a rich learning environment for caregivers at all levels. Creating simulation-based scenarios is a systematic, evidence-based, learner-centered process that requires skill and expertise. There are 11 known criteria of best practice in simulation design. Using best practices in simulation scenario design development can provide the bedrock for learners to engage in clinical practice with competency, confidence, and caring. Examples and suggestions are provided to guide readers to create quality, learner-centered simulation scenarios using the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice: Simulation Design.

Setting Learners up for Simulation and Clinical Success: Achieving Psychological Safety.

Simulation is an effective method for learning and demonstrating competency in the clinical setting. Like protocols used by nurses in the practice setting, simulation educators have standards of best practice to guide their use of simulation for teaching and learning. By using the Healthcare Simulation Standard of Best Practice: Prebriefing, the simulation educators and nurse preceptors can create safe learning and working environments. Incorporating a standard prebriefing method and plan that carries throughout the clinical environment may be one way to decrease stress and anxiety of the nursing team and promote a psychologically safe working environment.

Use of Simulation for Improving Quality and Patient Safety.

Healthcare systems have been challenged to reduce errors, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the quality of care provided. Simulation can support patient safety and risk management by improving medical and nursing education, knowledge, skills, and behavior. This engaging experiential teaching method helps healthcare professionals identify and correct potential sources of error in their practice and has also improved safety and clinical outcomes.

Constructing an evaluation index system for clinical nursing practice teaching quality using a Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process-based approach.

BACKGROUND: The key step in evaluating the quality of clinical nursing practice education lies in establishing a scientific, objective, and feasible index system. Current assessments of clinical teaching typically measure hospital learning environments, classroom teaching, teaching competency, or the internship quality of nursing students. As a result, clinical evaluations are often insufficient to provide focused feedback, guide faculty development, or identify specific areas for clinical teachers to implement change and improvement. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to to construct a scientific, systematic, and clinically applicable evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality and determine each indicator's weight to provide references for the scientific and objective evaluation of clinical nursing practice teaching quality. METHODS: Based on the "Structure-Process-Outcome" theoretical model, a literature review and Delphi surveys were conducted to establish the evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the weight of each indicator. RESULTS: The effective response rate for the two rounds of expert surveys was 100%. The expert authority coefficients were 0.961 and 0.975, respectively. The coefficient of variation for the indicators at each level ranged from 0 to 0.25 and 0 to 0.21, and the Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.209 and 0.135, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The final established index system included 3 first-level, 10 second-level, and 29 third-level indicators. According to the weights computed by the AHP, first-level indicators were ranked as "Process quality" (39.81%), "Structure quality" (36.67%), and "Outcome quality" (23.52%). Among the secondary indicators, experts paid the most attention to "Teaching staff" (23.68%), "Implementation of teaching rules and regulations (14.14%), and "Teaching plans" (13.20%). The top three third-level indicators were "Level of teaching staff" (12.62%), "Structure of teaching staff" (11.06%), and "Implementation of the management system for teaching objects" (7.54%). CONCLUSION: The constructed evaluation index system of clinical nursing practice teaching quality is scientific and reliable, with reasonable weight. The managers' focus has shifted from outcome-oriented to process-oriented approaches, and more focus on teaching team construction, teaching regulations implementation, and teaching design is needed to improve clinical teaching quality.

Teaching Evidence-Based Practice Competencies to Meet Professional Practice Needs.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a major concept threaded throughout nursing education, yet competencies are not clearly identified in The Essentials. PURPOSE: Nurse leaders'EBP competency expectations for professional practice were explored to inform competency-based education for students and practicing nurses. A secondary aim explored potential effects of misinformation on EBP. METHODS: Descriptive qualitative inquiry was performed with a focus group of 6 clinical nurse leaders. RESULTS: EBP expectations were identified, discriminating between novice entry level and advanced-level nurses. Participants emphasized asking questions, linking evidence to practice, and acknowledging that evidence changes over time. All advanced-level nurses were expected to apply, lead, and teach EBP. Post pandemic, nurses need to reclaim evidence-based practices, critically appraise evidence, and educate patients and families to address misinformation. CONCLUSIONS: Information learned will inform competency-based EBP education for students and nurses in academic and clinical settings.

Suicide prevention in a virtual environment: a roadmap for simulation-based education.

OBJECTIVE: to build and validate a simulation-based education roadmap on suicide prevention in the virtual environment. METHOD: methodological research subdivided into a development and validation stage. The roadmap was built using a previously drafted template based on international guidelines on good clinical simulation practices and scientific literature on suicide prevention in the virtual environment. For validation, the roadmap was validated by experts through self-application of an assessment form with answers based on "adequate, fair, and inadequate", with a field for suggestions. Descriptive statistics and the Content Validity Index (CVI≥0.8) were used. RESULTS: nine experts took part in the study, the majority of whom were nurses (66.7%), female (55.6%), with an average age of 42.22 years. All the items in the roadmap met the acceptance criteria (CVI≥0.8). CONCLUSION: this study provides a useful roadmap for teaching suicide prevention in the virtual environment. BACKGROUND: (1) Innovative study on suicide prevention, simulated teaching, and the virtual environment. (2) Script validated by experts and available in full for simulated teaching. (3) Introduction of a prototype of a fictional virtual social network for simulated practice. (4) Results indicated the appropriateness of the construction, with good agreement in the analyses. (5) The script enhances professional training and development in the mental health context.

Multidisciplinary Consensus on Curricular Priorities for Pediatric Neurocritical Care Nursing Education: A Modified Delphi Study in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are vital partners in the development of pediatric neurocritical care (PNCC) programs. Nursing expertise is acknowledged to be an integral component of high-quality specialty patient care in the field, but little guidance exists regarding educational requirements to build that expertise. We sought to obtain expert consensus from nursing professionals and physicians on curricular priorities for specialized PNCC nursing education in pediatric centers across the United States. METHODS: We used a modified Delphi study technique surveying a multidisciplinary expert panel of nursing professionals and physicians. Online surveys were distributed to 44 panelists over three rounds to achieve consensus on curricular topics deemed essential for PNCC nursing education. During each round, panelists were asked to rate topics as essential or not essential, as well as given opportunities to provide feedback and suggest changes. Feedback was shared anonymously to the panelist group throughout the process. RESULTS: From 70 initial individual topics, the consensus process yielded 19 refined topics that were confirmed to be essential for a PNCC nursing curriculum by the expert panel. Discrepancies existed regarding how universally to recommend topics of advanced neuromonitoring, such as brain tissue oxygenation; specialized neurological assessments, such as the serial neurological assessment in pediatrics or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; and some disease-based populations. Panelists remarked that not all centers see specific diseases, and not all centers currently employ advanced neuromonitoring technologies and skills. CONCLUSIONS: We report 19 widely accepted curricular priorities that can serve as a standard educational base for PNCC nursing. Developing education for nurses in PNCC will complement PNCC programs with targeted nursing expertise that extends comprehensive specialty care to the bedside. Further work is necessary to effectively execute educational certification programs, implement nursing standards in the field, and evaluate the impact of nursing expertise on patient care and outcomes.