The academic journey of students with specific learning difficulties undertaking pre-registration nursing programmes in the UK: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of nursing students with specific learning difficulties enrolled on pre-registration nursing programmes and the impact that this diagnosis has on their programme outcomes are currently unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to report on data that explored and compared the academic journey of students with and without learning difficulties on pre-registration nursing degree programmes. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort design. SETTINGS: One university in the UK offering BSc Honours Degree programmes in Adult and Mental Health Nursing. PARTICIPANTS: Pre-registration adult and mental health nursing students (n = 1152) enrolled in the programmes between 2012 and 2016. METHODS: Pearson's Correlation, ANOVA and crosstabulation were used to identify the differences and associations between each group of students with the outcome variables grade percent average and programme completion. RESULTS: A total of 12.5% of the students were identified as having a diagnosed specific learning difficulty and were entitled to reasonable adjustments. The analysis shows that their grade percent average and completion rates are equivalent to students without a specific learning difficulty. CONCLUSIONS: The differences between students with a specific learning difficulty and those without are small across the variables measured. Reasonable adjustments appear to mitigate the learning difficulties that students with specific learning difficulties have. Educators need to continue to promote ways of identifying students with specific learning difficulties as early as possible in the student's academic journey. Responsive adjustments in teaching and assessment in theory and practice components should be implemented to ensure that all students' opportunities to succeed are maximised.

An exploration of the predictive validity of selection criteria on progress outcomes for pre-registration nursing programmes-A systematic review.

AIM: To identify the selection methods currently being used for pre-registration nursing programmes and to assess the predictive power that these methods have on students' success. BACKGROUND: Research into selection methods in nursing education is beginning to emerge, yet it is unclear which methods are most predictive of students' success. DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature. METHODS: A systematic search of ten electronic databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE Ovid, EMBASE, PROQUEST Health and Medical, PROQUEST Education, COCHRANE Library, Web of Science, ASSIA, SCOPUS and PROSPERO was conducted. The results were expanded by the handsearching of journals, reference lists and grey literature. The PRISMA statement guided the review. Studies published in English between January 2008-March 2020 were eligible for inclusion, and quality assessment was undertaken using the CASP Checklist for Cohort Studies. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies met the criteria for inclusion. A range of selection methods was identified including prior academic achievement, admissions tests, interviews, emotional intelligence tests, personal statements and previous healthcare experience. Prior academic achievement and admissions tests appear to be the selection methods most predictive of student success. The evidence surrounding other selection methods such as interviews and personal statements is less conclusive. CONCLUSION: Selecting individuals with the appropriate knowledge, interpersonal skills and personal qualities needed to complete an undergraduate nursing programme is an important part of the role of nurse educators. This review shows that a wide variety of selection methods are used across different institutions, some of which are more effective than others in predicting student outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Further research is required to justify the continued use of some commonly used selection methods for undergraduate nursing programmes. Selection models that combine various types of selection criteria with predictive power appear to increase the probability of selecting students that will have successful outcomes.

Amplifying Health Through Community Gardens: A Framework for Advancing Multicomponent, Behaviorally Based Neighborhood Interventions.

The article presents a framework for understanding the relationship between community garden participation, and the myriad ways gardens and participation lead to emotional, social, and health impacts. Existing empirical research relating community gardens to health behaviors, such as physical activity and diet, and longer-term chronic disease-related outcomes is summarized. The research areas discussed include the effects of community garden participation on individual, social, emotional, and environmental processes; health behaviors including diet and physical activity; and health outcomes such as self-rated health, obesity, and mental health. Other mechanisms through which community gardens may affect population health are described. Applying a multitheoretical lens to explore associations between community garden participation and health enables us to delineate key aspects of gardening that elicit positive health behaviors and multifactorial health assets that could be applied to designing other types of health interventions.