A four-year analysis of US and Canadian academic nurse administrators' job satisfaction and intent to stay.

BACKGROUND: A crisis in vacancies for academic nurse leaders across North American has been recognized. Their role has become increasingly multifaceted, facing rapidly changing responsibilities that must evolve with health care, higher education and leadership. PURPOSE: This retrospective study was conducted to investigate relationships among relevant variables included in the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction survey. METHODS: The sample included survey responses from academic nursing administrators (n = 174). Analysis of variance and multiple linear regression modeling were utilized. DISCUSSION: Clarity in the tenure process (F (6, 92) = 2.92, p = .001), collaboration (p =.000) as well as academic leadership decisions of the dean or division chair (p = .006), and work-life balance (p =.005) were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the factors important to administrators will assist in innovative approaches to attract and retain qualified leaders.

Job Satisfaction Among Nursing Faculty in Canada and the United States.

BACKGROUND: Higher education wants a satisfied workforce to ensure the organization reaches their stated or evolving goals; however, if faculty are dissatisfied, there can be harmful and long-term consequences on productivity and organizational outcome. This study examined nursing faculty's job satisfaction and intent to stay in universities in the United States and Canada. METHOD: This study used a nonexperimental, survey research design with correlational analysis. The sample included 746 U.S. and Canadian nursing faculty. A secondary data source from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education also was used; the data contained responses to an online survey. RESULTS: Job satisfaction demonstrated statistically significant positive relationships with personal and family policies, collaboration, tenure clarity, institutional leadership, shared governance, and engagement. CONCLUSION: Understanding the different factors influencing job satisfaction and intent to stay is one step toward meeting the challenge of a diversified academic nursing workforce. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(11):617-623.].

Race, gender, and ethnicity differences of nursing students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirosus disease caused physical, mental, and social stress to humans; however, the human impact was not balanced and proportionately distributed to all people; especially nurses. This study explored nursing students' lives affected by the pandemic. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic on students' experiences across different races, genders, and ethnicities. METHOD: This cross-sectional study sought to investigate significant differences in reported experiences of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic based upon race, gender, and ethnicity classifications. A survey was developed to collect the data. RESULTS: A national sample of 616 student responses was analyzed. Significant differences were found in the pairwise comparisons. The differences found among the diverse student classifications revealed variations in survey responses to classes moved to on-line, interactions with peers, COVID-19 testing, fear/anxiety, and test performance. CONCLUSION: The research adds knowledge about nursing students' experiences during the pandemic; especially unrepresented students from diverse backgrounds. The findings from this study suggested nursing students reacted differently based on race, ethnicity, and gender.

Commitment, job satisfaction and personality: A cross sectional study of generational cohorts in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The current domestic nursing workforce is the most generational diversity in history with a wide range of life experiences. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate generational differences in organizational commitment, job satisfaction and personality traits in a sample of nursing students preparing for the workforce. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data collected from pre-licensure final semester nursing students and degree completion students (n = 313) from three different schools about job satisfaction, personality traits and organizational commitment. RESULTS: Findings showed the scores between the generations were not significantly different for job satisfaction (p = 0.86) and organizational commitment (p = 0.40). Significant differences were found between the generations for the personality measures of agreeableness (p = 0.02), conscientiousness (p = 0.01), and emotional stability (p = 0.00). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Understanding generational differences in nursing students entering the workforce can serve academia and practice partners to focus curriculum and resources appropriately to prepare the next generation of nurses for the challenges in a time of crisis.

Electronic note taking technology and academic performance in nursing students.

Background: Technological advances have provided alternatives to traditional handwritten note taking that are changing the classroom learning environment in higher education for nursing students.Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore nursing student attitudes and preferences for note taking and the relationship of note taking methods on academic performance. Design: The mixed method approaches collected data from 217 nursing students in a baccalaureate program of study in spring and fall of 2017.Methods: Nursing students at the junior and senior level in the academic program voluntarily participated by completing a survey using a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions.Findings: The majority of students (69.3%) reported taking notes by electronic methods. No significant difference was found between the method of note taking and GPA (p = .139).Conclusions: Findings suggest that multiple variables influence learning in the classroom environment and note taking method has little impact on academic performance. Impact Statement: Educators should consider this finding when implementing policies on classroom electronics, including note taking. Understanding that the preferred method of note taking whether handwritten or electronic has little impact on overall academic performance should inform evidence based teaching and learning.

A national survey of the impact of COVID-19 on personal, academic, and work environments of nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students are experiencing life changing events in their personal, academic, and work environments since the onset of the pandemic. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the effects of COVID-19 on personal, workforce, and academic experiences of nursing students (N = 620). METHOD: A 68-item survey with three areas of focus surrounding academic, workforce and personal experiences was distributed to multiple schools across the United States. The analysis compares student responses from the five regions of the US. FINDINGS: Significant differences were found in the pairwise comparisons. The analysis revealed the academic changes were generally viewed as negative. Fear/anxiety and political influences impacted the outcomes of the pandemic. DISCUSSION: Understanding the effects of the pandemic on the personal, work and academic experiences of nursing students will assist academia and healthcare in adapting existing policies to meet student needs in the various regions of the United States.

Student perceptions of older adults after a music intervention: A mixed approach.

AIMS: The aims of this project were to investigate changes in nursing students' attitudes and perceptions of older adults after implementing individualized Music and Memory© playlists. In addition, the inquiry sought to compare pre and post survey responses for changes in rankings of caring for the older adult as a career choice. The qualitative inquiry sought to explore students' perceptions of their experience through narrative journaling for a better understanding of the experience. DESIGN: This study used an explanatory sequential mixed design. METHODS: A pre post-intervention approach was used for quantitative data collection along with a ranking item for career choices. Journal narratives completed within one week following the experience were explored for qualitative themes to better understand students' experiences. Attitudes and perceptions of students (N = 44) were measured by two tools before and after implementation of Music and Memory© Interventions during a 7-week clinical experience. Student journals were analyzed for themes. RESULTS: In the two-tailed paired t-test, nursing students' attitudes and perceptions of caring for older adults were analyzed for differences. Significance improvement was found in students' reported interaction scores and other constructs (p ≤ .01). Mean ranking of caring for the older adult improved from 7.6 to 7.0 in the post intervention analysis. Student journals reported the activity as worthwhile and time consuming. CONCLUSIONS: As the baby boomer generation ages the need for residential long-term care is projected to increase significantly. Recruiting and retaining nurses to care for this vulnerable population is challenging. Music and Memory© Interventions have the potential to change student attitudes and perceptions of the older adult that could improve caring for the older adult as a career choice.

National Institute of Nursing Research Grant Funding Recipients: Hispanic and Nurses of Color Are Lagging.

INTRODUCTION: National Institute of Health (NIH) stated in their strategic plan that a diverse research workforce is an important goal for the advancement of health care science; however, there is little evidence to show funding goes to National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) minority nurse scientists. The study's aim was to determine NINR grant recipients' race/ethnicity, gender, and licensed nurse status. METHODS: A descriptive research design was used with NIH providing NINR award recipients' names and employing organizations. An online survey with questions about their gender, race, ethnicity, and being a licensed nurse was sent to 619 award recipients. RESULTS: Survey responses were collected from 135 NINR recipients receiving awards. Almost 50% NINR grant recipients were non-nurses. With licensed nurse recipients, White female was the dominate race and gender. Hispanic licensed nurses were 6.8% of the NINR grant recipients over the 3-year period. In addition, Asians and Blacks were the lowest race categories at 4.1% award percentage over the 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: NIH strategic plan is for a diverse research workforce in order to advance health care science. NINR must lead the efforts to grow a diverse nursing workforce including Hispanic and underrepresented nurses in order to successfully compete in NINR grants and funding.

Analysis of Medication Errors and near Misses Made by Nursing Students.

Despite extensive research and technological advancements, errors related to medication administration continue to rise annually. The body of evidence surrounding medication errors has focused largely on licensed practicing nurses. Nursing students can offer a unique perspective regarding medication administration as their foundation for professional psychomotor skills and cognitive abilities are developed. The purpose of this study was to explore the variables related to medication errors made by pre-licensure nursing students. Data were collected from 2013-2015 in a pre-licensure program. Students completed a post-error survey available in Google Forms. One hundred thirteen responses to the error report were completed. By exploring the factors related to medication errors among nursing students, teaching and learning strategies forming the foundations of medication administration can improve professional nursing practice and improve safety and quality of care.

A national survey of nurse practitioners' patient satisfaction outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The research findings about nurse practitioner (NP) patient experiences (satisfaction) are limited to small sample sizes from local community clinics. No national studies with large sample sizes were found. PURPOSE: To analyze responses from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey and compare the patient experiences from four different provider categories. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was completed on survey responses from 53,885 patients. FINDINGS: In the sample, medical doctor providers were disproportionately represented in greater number than NPs, doctor of osteopathy, or physician assistant. Further analysis comparing patient experiences between providers revealed NP to be rated significantly higher than their colleagues. DISCUSSION: Recognizing the factors associated with patient satisfaction with their providers can lead to improvements in patient-provider interactions that can result in increased quality of care. CONCLUSION: Policy makers should find opportunities to employ NP in primary care settings and achieve greater patient satisfaction that can influence outcomes associated with patient-centered care initiatives.

Exploring NCLEX Failures and Standardized Assessments.

BACKGROUND: Nurse educators seek valid and reliable tools to assist in early identification and intervention for students at-risk of NCLEX-RN failure. PURPOSE: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to use principal component analysis to explore relationships within standardized assessment (SA) scores from a sample of students who failed the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt. METHODS: Standardized assessment scores were collected from prelicensure programs between 2009 and 2016 (n = 296). Mixed modeling sought to reveal SA scores that represented redundancy or duplication. RESULTS: The principal component analysis found 2 distinct components emerging from the 8 SAs included in the study, signifying duplication in the content assessed. Within these 2 components, maternal newborn and pharmacology had the strongest correlations among the SA scores. CONCLUSIONS: Discovering those SAs that assess similar content and have the strongest correlations can provide additional information for decision making when implementing these tests throughout the nursing curriculum.

Nurse practitioners' time on nonbillable activities.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During the provision of patient care delivery, all providers, including nurse practitioners (NPs), spend some time in activities that are not reimbursable. Understanding these nonbillable activities is crucial to the economic viability and success of existing and projected practice models. This study explored and compared seven nonbillable activities occurring in the practices of NPs in various settings. METHODS: Using a nonexperimental, descriptive design, 509 NPs were surveyed about nonbillable activities encountered in daily practice. Binomial regression analyses and incidence rate ratios were used to interpret relationships between each variable and nonbillable time. CONCLUSIONS: Although not every variable had significance, there were significant differences found in the amount of time spent in certain nonbillable activities depending on workplace setting, number of support staff, and primary care provider role. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The uncertainty of health care reform, including reimbursement, provider shortage, and the expanding roles of NPs, requires a closer look at both billable and nonbillable care activities. Understanding how nonbillable time affects work efficiency, costs, and the value of NPs will allow NPs to influence future health care reimbursement policies and delivery care models.

Changing students' perceptions of the homeless: A community service learning experience.

The homeless are an underserved, local vulnerable population that can benefit from a service learning clinical practicum experience for baccalaureate prepared nursing students. Negative attitudes and disrespect among healthcare workers has been identified by the homeless as a barrier to healthcare. A service learning experience with a vulnerable population has been shown to change nursing students' attitudes and beliefs. A large university in a southern city partnered with a community based organization that provided services to the homeless to educate senior nursing students in a service learning experience. The goal of this project was to examine attitudes and perceptions of nursing students toward the homeless population before and after participation in a service learning clinical practicum experience. This case study utilized a pre and post experience questionnaire to collect qualitative data for the purposes of the project. The findings revealed students demonstrated a decrease in fear, an increase in empathy, and a deeper understanding of the advocacy role of nurses for people experiencing homelessness. Nurse educators are challenged to engage students with vulnerable populations to change the attitudes and perceptions for improvement in the overall health of communities served worldwide. Partnerships and service learning experiences can benefit all.

College nursing faculty job satisfaction and retention: A national perspective.

The need for registered nurses in the United States continues to grow. To meet this need for increased numbers of nurses, recruitment and retention of qualified nurse educators has become a priority. In addition, the factors associated with nursing faculties' intent to stay have emerged as important considerations for administrators. The concepts of job satisfaction and intent to stay become vital to recruiting and retaining nursing faculty. In the past decade few empirical studies have been conducted on a national scale to address job satisfaction and intent to stay in academia. The purpose of this retrospective study is to analyze variables of relationships with nurse faculty job satisfaction and intent to stay from data collected throughout the United States. The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) survey was employed for the purposes of this study. Over 1350 nurse educators were included in the survey. The findings support a variety of modifiable variables that are viewed as important by nursing faculty. The strongest relationship was found to be institutional leadership. The implications can inform academic administrators seeking to retain nursing faculty.

Student Bedtimes, Academic Performance, and Health in a Residential High School.

Inadequate sleep among adolescents is considered an epidemic in the United States. Late night bedtimes could be an important factor in academic performance and health with consequences continuing throughout adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between late night bedtimes, academic performance (grade point average [GPA]), and utilization of health care (school nurse visits) in a residential high school. The data were collected from archival records for one academic semester. The statistical analysis employed the nonparametric Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r) with the standard level of significance (α = .05). Positive and inverse linear relationships were found between bedtime and school nurse visits ( p < .00001) and bedtime and GPA ( p = .007). The findings suggest students' late night bedtimes may be related to increased school nurse visits and lower academic performance. Adolescent late night bedtimes may be an important consideration for academic success and maintaining health in residential high schools.

Academic nursing administrators' workplace satisfaction and intent to stay.

BACKGROUND: In nursing education, the academic administrator is critical given the multitude of challenges associated with program delivery (e.g., shortages of faculty, strict and changing regulations for program accreditation, and the sheer demand for more nurses). Unfortunately, with the focus on recruiting and retaining new novice faculty to teach students, academic nursing administrators have been overlooked in recent studies. PURPOSE: As such, this study aims to explore the workplace satisfaction and intent to stay of academic nursing administrators by considering their relation to a variety of demographic and work related variables. METHODS: A secondary data source was used from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Fisher's Least Significant Difference tests and t-tests were used in the analysis. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Results indicate that several modifiable work factors positively relate to both job satisfaction and intent to stay.

Advocacy Through Education.

Nurses are one of the largest groups of policy stakeholders in the health-care workforce, yet their influence on policy is not necessarily commensurate with their numbers. Since 2011, grassroots action coalitions have emerged to advance the profession's impact on health-care policy. In one state, a partnership among professional nursing organizations, policy stakeholders, and academics resulted in educational presentations focused on political advocacy knowledge and skills. The goal of this project was to bring awareness to nurses and nursing students about their potential contributions to the political and advocacy processes that shape health policy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of focused educational presentations in correcting misconceptions, increasing awareness, and providing clarification of the roles of advanced practice registered nurses, and identifying related policy implications. This quasi-experiment used a retrospective pre-post intervention self-evaluation tool administered immediately following an educational presentation. The sample ( N = 137) consisted of baccalaureate nursing students and licensed nurses. The results showed ( p < .001) that education could have a significant improvement in political advocacy participation.

Understanding backward design to strengthen curricular models.

Nurse educators have responded to the call for transformation in education. Challenges remain in planning curricular implementation to facilitate understanding of essential content for student success on licensure examinations and in professional practice. The conceptual framework Backward Design (BD) can support and guide curriculum decisions. Using BD principles in conjunction with educational models can strengthen and improve curricula. This article defines and describes the BD process, and identifies reported benefits for nursing education.

Standardized mastery content assessments for predicting NCLEX-RN outcomes.

Nurse educators need predictors of failure for early intervention. This study investigated the predictability of fundamentals, mental health, and pharmacology standardized assessment scores to identify the risk of baccalaureate students' failure on the NCLEX-RN. Using logistic regression the pharmacology assessment score was predictive with 73.7% accuracy. Use of the pharmacology assessment can assist in early identification of at-risk students in efforts to better prepare for the NCLEX-RN examination.