Implementation of an educational program for nursing students amidst the Ebola virus disease epidemic.

BACKGROUND: The global Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic of 2014/2015 prompted faculty at Emory University to develop an educational program for nursing students to increase EVD knowledge and confidence and decrease concerns about exposure risk. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of the EVD Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) educational program. METHODS: Informational sessions, online course links, and a targeted, self-directed slide presentation were developed and implemented for the EVD educational program. Three student surveys administered at different time points were used to evaluate the program and change in students' EVD knowledge, confidence in knowledge, and risk concern. DISCUSSION: Implementation of a JiTT educational program effectively achieved our goals to increase EVD knowledge, decrease fear, and enhance student confidence in the ability to discuss EVD risk. These achievements were sustained over time. CONCLUSION: JiTT methodology is an effective strategy for schools of nursing to respond quickly and comprehensively during an unanticipated infectious disease outbreak.

Evolving Licensure Examination: Assessing Student Confidence and Accuracy With Next Generation NCLEX.

BACKGROUND: The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) includes new item types. Little is known about nursing students' confidence and accuracy in answering these questions. METHOD: A descriptive comparative study examined prelicensure nursing students' confidence and accuracy in answering NGN-style items versus multiple-choice questions (MCQs) of the same content via a 12-item quiz. RESULTS: Less than one third of students (n = 194; 32.1%) reported feeling confident in answering NGN questions. Students' confidence levels had no relationship on scores with NGN items. When comparing NGN-style items to MCQs, students' (n = 221) scores on NGN-style items were lower with bowtie or a select-all-that-apply questions but higher with highlight table or matrix multiple-choice questions. CONCLUSION: Students' lack of confidence with certain item types suggests faculty should incorporate these item types into classroom activities or course assignments. NGN test-taking strategies also should be incorporated and frequently reinforced throughout the curriculum. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(4):252-255.].

Demonstration of caring and motivational interviewing in online simulation: A cross-sectional observational study.

AIM: The purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative educational approach for pre-licensure nursing students to learn and practice motivational interviewing skills in a telehealth simulation with standardized patients portraying pregnant women with substance use disorder. BACKGROUND: Given the ongoing need for online delivery of both nursing education and clinical practice, providers must continue to find approaches to facilitate the provision of empathetic and personalized care to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Motivational interviewing integrates a person-centered approach with specific communication strategies to encourage and support patients' commitment to change. Motivational interviewing skills can be implemented across a wide variety of patient situations, including mental health and primary nursing care. DESIGN: The study followed a pre-/post-test cross-sectional observational design. METHODS: After completing an online training course to learn motivational interviewing skills, students participated in an online simulation with a standardized patient portraying a woman with substance use disorder during pregnancy. Prior to the simulation, students completed the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 and the Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers. After the simulation, students and standardized patients completed the Simulated Clinical Interview Rating Scale and a 5-item version of the Caring Behaviors Inventory-6. RESULTS: Of the 252 students in the course, 85 (34%) participated in the study. Twenty-six student participants completed both pre- and post-simulation questionnaires; 40 completed only pre-simulation questionnaires; and 19 completed only post-simulation questionnaires. Prior to the simulated patient encounter, students rated themselves most favorably on ability to demonstrate assurance behaviors. After the training and simulation, students and standardized patients reported successful student demonstration of motivational interviewing skills and caring behaviors consistent with fundamental therapeutic communication and motivational interviewing knowledge. There was no statistically significant difference between self-reported student performance and the standardized patients' observations. CONCLUSIONS: Students attained and applied motivational skills and demonstrated caring behaviors in a virtual setting with standardized patients.

Positive Outcomes of Rapid Freeware Implementation to Replace Baccalaureate Student Clinical Experiences.

BACKGROUND: Loss of in-person clinical experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic created the need for a rapid transition to online clinical education using virtual simulation, which has been shown to be an effective teaching-learning method. Standards of best practice for simulation provide a framework for implementation. METHOD: Using free online simulation programs, 15 faculty members offered 3-hour synchronous sessions covering 20 different topics via an online meeting platform to 42 senior nursing students. Students were invited to complete an evaluation following each session. RESULTS: Students collectively logged over 1,200 hours of simulation time attending approximately 100 sessions. Postsimulation evaluations captured students' responses to sessions. Students appreciated the opportunity to review content covered in previous semesters and engaged most when simulations followed a consistent structure, were interactive, and contained visually engaging materials. CONCLUSION: Resourceful faculty responded quickly and creatively to the urgent need to transition to online clinical learning and created positive experiences for students. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(12):701-704.].

"No one gets through it OK": the health challenge of coming home from war.

Few studies have sought to explore the subjective experience of reintegration for veterans of the current Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn military campaigns, and even less attention has been given to discover strategies used by veterans to overcome difficulties with transitioning from life in a combat zone to life at home. Findings of this mixed-method study describe reintegration challenges faced by a sample of student veterans as well as some of the strategies they used in response to those challenges. This study provides direction for nurses and postsecondary educators to support veterans who struggle with their personal experience of coming home from the war.

Approaches to resolve health challenges in a population of older adults undergoing hemodialysis.

Research is lacking regarding the health challenges older adults undergoing hemodialysis face when attempting to make lifestyle changes. The purpose of this study was to identify the health challenges of making lifestyle changes in this population and to identify approaches for resolving these challenges. Story theory guided data collection, and data were analyzed using Liehr and Smith's story inquiry method. Within these stories of health challenges, three themes captured the essence of what "matters most" to participants: (a) Living a Restriction-Driven Existence; (b) Balancing Independence/Dependence; and (c) Struggling With Those Providing Care. The approaches to resolving the health challenges exist on a continuum, with "unhappy passive acceptance" on one end and "assertive behavior intended to get what you want" on the other. The findings suggest that these approaches may change over time. Identifying health challenges could lead to self-management behaviors that support positive health outcomes for this population.