Gaming in Nursing Education: A Literature Review.

AIM: The aim of this research was to investigate videogame-based learning in nursing education and establish how videogames are currently employed and how they link to the development of decision-making, motivation, and other benefits. BACKGROUND: Although digital game-based learning potentially offers a safe and convenient environment that can support nursing students developing essential skills, nurse educators are typically slow to adopt such resources. METHOD: A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted, followed by a thematic analysis of the literature. RESULTS: Evaluations of identified games found generally positive results regarding usability and effectiveness of videogames in nursing education. Analysis of advantages of videogames in nursing education identified potential benefits for decision-making, motivation, repeated exposure, logistical, and financial value. CONCLUSION: Despite the paucity of games available and the methodological limitations identified, findings provide evidence to support the potential effectiveness of videogames as a learning resource in nursing education.

Competencies to enable learning-focused clinical supervision: a thematic analysis of the literature.

CONTEXT: Clinical supervision is essential for development of health professional students and widely recognised as a significant factor influencing student learning. Although considered important, delivery is often founded on personal experience or a series of predetermined steps that offer standardised behavioural approaches. Such a view may limit the capacity to promote individualised student learning in complex clinical environments. The objective of this review was to develop a comprehensive understanding of what is considered 'good' clinical supervision, within health student education. The literature provides many perspectives, so collation and interpretation were needed to aid development and understanding for all clinicians required to perform clinical supervision within their daily practice. METHOD: A comprehensive thematic literature review was carried out, which included a variety of health disciplines and geographical environments. RESULTS: Literature addressing 'good' clinical supervision consists primarily of descriptive qualitative research comprising mostly small studies that repeated descriptions of student and supervisor opinions of 'good' supervision. Synthesis and thematic analysis of the literature resulted in four 'competency' domains perceived to inform delivery of learning-focused or 'good' clinical supervision. Domains understood to promote student learning are co-dependent and include 'to partner', 'to nurture', 'to engage' and 'to facilitate meaning'. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical supervision is a complex phenomenon and establishing a comprehensive understanding across health disciplines can influence the future health workforce. The learning-focused clinical supervision domains presented here provide an alternative perspective of clinical supervision of health students. This paper is the first step in establishing a more comprehensive understanding of learning-focused clinical supervision, which may lead to development of competencies for clinical supervision.

Experiences of registered nurses who supervise international nursing students in the clinical and classroom setting: an integrative literature review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the literature reporting the experiences and perceptions of registered nurses who supervise international nursing students in the clinical and classroom setting. BACKGROUND: Nursing education relies on clinical experts to supervise students during classroom and clinical education, and the quality of that supervision has a significant impact on student development and learning. Global migration and internationalisation of nursing education have led to increasing numbers of registered nurses supervising international nursing students. However, a paucity of relevant literature limits our understanding of these experiences. DESIGN: An integrative literature review. METHODS: Comprehensive database searches of CINAHL, Informit, PubMed, Journals@Ovid, Findit@flinders and Medline were undertaken. Screening of 179 articles resulted in 10 included for review. Appraisal and analysis using Whittemore and Knafl's (Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52, 2005, 546) five stage integrative review recommendations was undertaken. RESULTS: This review highlighted some unique challenges for registered nurses supervising international nursing students. Identified issues were, a heightened sense of responsibility, additional pastoral care challenges, considerable time investments, communication challenges and cultural differences between teaching and learning styles. CONCLUSION: It is possible that these unique challenges could be minimised by implementing role preparation programmes specific to international nursing student supervision. Further research is needed to provide an in-depth exploration of current levels of preparation and support to make recommendations for future practice, education and policy development. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: An awareness of the specific cultural learning needs of international nursing students is an important first step to the provision of culturally competent supervision for this cohort of students. There is an urgent need for education and role preparation for all registered nurses supervising international nursing students, along with adequate recognition of the additional time required to effectively supervise these students.

Nursing students' perceptions of a clinical learning assessment activity: 'Linking the puzzle pieces of theory to practice'.

The nursing profession struggles with providing a bridge to close the theory to practice gap for students. Students are expected to graduate with competencies that promote their safe and comprehensive nursing care provision in accordance with professional standards. This paper reports on students' a simulated clinical educational intervention embedded into a second-year nursing student clinical topic offering experiential learning opportunities for a large cohort. Feedback was analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic qualitative process to investigate student-learning experiences and present student perceptions of this experience. Three key themes were identified: support promoted learning, focus on the bigger picture and practice clarifies puzzle pieces. Students perceived the simulated clinical experience as beneficial to their confidence, learning and ability to develop their professional practice. Promotion of learning outcomes facilitated by the structured, supportive and educational approach was important for students. Nurse educators have a responsibility to develop learning experiences that enable student's ability to link theory to practice in context. Ongoing exploration and evaluation of this intervention is required however, such an approach appears to support student's knowledge development for transference across situations and within large student cohorts.

Massage, a complementary therapy effectively promoting the health and well-being of older people in residential care settings: a review of the literature.

AIMS: To explore the potential benefits of massage within daily routine care of the older person in residential care settings. BACKGROUND: Globally, the proportion of people over 65 years is rapidly rising. Increased longevity means older people may experience a rise in physiological and psychological health problems. These issues potentially place an increased demand for quality long-term care for the older person. Complementary approaches such as massage appear to be needed in quality residential care. DESIGN: A critical literature review was undertaken. METHODS: A literature review pertaining to massage in the older resident was conducted using a range of online databases. Fourteen studies dated 1993-2012 met the inclusion criteria and were critically evaluated as suitable resources for this review. RESULTS: Evidence suggests massage may be advantageous from client and nursing perspectives. Clients' perceive massage to positively influence factors such as pain, sleep, emotional status and psychosocial health. Evidence also demonstrates massage to benefit the client and organisation by reducing the necessity for restraint and pharmacological intervention. Massage may be incorporated into care provision and adopted by care providers and family members as an additional strategy to enhance quality of life for older people. CONCLUSION: Massage offers a practical activity that can be used to enhance the health and well-being of the older person in residential care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Massage offers benefit for promoting health and well-being of the older person along with potential increased engagement of family in care provision. Integration of massage into daily care activities of the older person requires ongoing promotion and implementation.

Supporting nursing student supervision: An assessment of an innovative approach to supervisor support.

UNLABELLED: The responsibility for clinical supervision is recognised by both the nursing literature and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, through an expectation that RNs will provide support and facilitate student learning in the clinical environment (Atack et al., 2000; Gray and Smith, 2000; Brammer, 2005; Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2006; Hallin and Danielson, 2008). RNs identify with and acknowledge the need for the supervisory role and are willing participants however, request strategies to guide and support students in the clinical environment (Bourbonnais and Kerr, 2007; Hallin and Danielson, 2008). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide a means of support to clinical supervisors of nursing students through a computer-based clinical supervisor educational package (CSEP) and to test the effectiveness of the CSEP. DESIGN: The effectiveness of the CSEP was determined by a pre-test-post-test evaluation sheet that included open and Likert scale questions. SETTINGS: 4 regional hospitals in South Australia, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 28 participants completed the questionnaire on their experience with the CSEP. METHODS: Analysis of quantitative data utilised non-parametric testing with SPSS version 20. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was performed on the Likert scale questions to establish any significant difference between the pre- and post-tests. The responses to the open-ended questions were thematically analysed separately by the two authors. The themes were then amalgamated. The results were then compared to find similarities or differences. CONCLUSIONS: The CSEP is an effective education package in promoting increased preparedness to supervise and increased confidence to promote learning.

Living and learning in a rural environment: a nursing student perspective.

This study investigates the influences on nursing student learning who live and learn in the same rural environment. BACKGROUND: A declining health workforce has been identified both globally and in Australia, the effects of which have become significantly apparent in the rural nursing sector. In support of rural educational programs the literature portrays rural clinical practice experiences as significant to student learning. However, there is little available research on what influences learning for the nursing student who studies in their own rural community. RESEARCH AIMS AND DESIGN: The aim of this study was to understand what influences student learning in the rural clinical environment. Through a multiple case study design five nursing students and two clinical preceptors from a rural clinical venue were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to identify factors that influenced student learning outcomes. RESEARCH FINDINGS: The most significant influence on nursing student learning in the rural clinical environment was found to include the environment itself, the complex relationships unique to living and studying in a rural community along with the capacity to link theory to practice. The rural environment influences those in it, the demands placed on them, the relationships they form, the ability to promote learning and the time to teach and learn.