Evaluation of Nursing Coursework for Biased Content.

ABSTRACT: Bias-free content in nursing education prepares students to provide equitable care. The process of assessing content promotes the dismantling of systemic bias in health care, advancing social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Unfortunately, there are no published studies to guide the evaluation of nursing curricula for the presence of bias. This innovative project aimed to identify bias in a course and develop a structure to guide the wider evaluation of the curriculum to identify and remove biased content. A modified version of the Upstate Bias Checklist was applied to a 15-week, three-semester hour, prelicensure, graduate-level nursing course.

RN-to-BS Nursing Education Research: A Scoping Review.

AIM: The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the extent, range, and nature of RN-to-BS nursing education research. BACKGROUND: The state of nursing education science specific to RN-to-BS education is not available. METHOD: Scoping review methodology was used to identify categories and types of published research related to RN-to-BS nursing education. RESULTS: Eight categories were identified across the 41 articles that met the inclusion criteria: teaching strategies ( n = 11), curriculum ( n = 9), enrollment/retention ( n = 8), benefits of a bachelor's degree ( n = 4), student characteristics ( n = 3), professional values ( n = 2), role transition ( n = 2), and faculty/student expectations ( n = 2). CONCLUSION: Opportunities exist for researchers to study RN-BS students and faculty to better support evidence-based teaching practices and faculty development needs relevant for the increasingly hybrid and online student populations.

An Exploratory Study of Undergraduate Nursing Students' Experiences of Group Work in Block Model Teaching.

ABSTRACT: The study's aim was to examine students' perceptions of group work taught in a block model in the first unit of an undergraduate nursing program. The study used a qualitative descriptive design with open-ended questions. Data from 27 students were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged from the data: 1) unmet expectations, 2) cognitive and metacognitive strategies (subtheme, reflection), and 3) engagement. The benefits and challenges associated with group work using the block model are highlighted, along with implications for education, practice, and further research.

Impact of Team-Based Learning on the Development of Critical Thinking Disposition in Entry-Level Master's Nursing Students.

ABSTRACT: Team-based learning (TBL) is an evidence-based teaching-learning strategy increasingly used in nursing education to improve student learning outcomes. Few studies have focused on its effects on the critical thinking disposition of second-degree nursing students enrolled in accelerated, entry-level master's programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of TBL on the critical thinking disposition of entry-level master's nursing students. Critical thinking disposition scores did not significantly improve, but students' confidence in reasoning skills and intellectual curiosity were strengthened, suggesting that TBL is an instructional strategy worth pursuing in entry-level master's nursing programs.

Evaluation of the Maryland Next Gen Test Bank Project: Implications and Recommendations.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the development and impact of a project to create a statewide test bank of Next Generation NCLEX®-style items. BACKROUND: Using a train-the-trainer model, champions created an open access resource of Next Generation NCLEX-style items to use to teach clinical judgment and then trained peers on item writing and test bank use. METHOD: Stufflebeam's CIPP (context, inputs, process, and products) model provided the framework for the evaluation. Data were synthesized from multiple sources including participation rates, item utilization, and survey data. RESULTS: Twenty faculty from 13 schools were trained as champions and submitted 54 case studies, 33 bowties, and 21 trend items to the test bank. Items were used over 60,000 times in the first year. CONCLUSION: The statewide test bank met a need for more teaching resources. The train-the-trainer model was an effective strategy for helping faculty learn to prepare for Next Generation NCLEX.

Implementation of a Mental Health Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Using Standards of Best Practice.

ABSTRACT: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is effective for the evaluation of clinical competence. Studies examining the use of OSCEs in undergraduate mental health nursing education in the United States are limited. A pilot study and a follow-up study were conducted to establish the reliability and validity of a mental health OSCE to evaluate the clinical competence of prelicensure nursing students. International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Standards of Best Practice were used to guide the design and implementation. Results from both studies provide evidence for the use of OSCE in undergraduate mental health nursing education.

Perceptions of nursing staff and students regarding attrition: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: This research aims to explore the perceptions of nursing students and directors of bachelor of nursing degree courses regarding reasons for attrition amongst nursing students. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using inductive thematic analysis. The study included a purposeful sample of 12 students and 4 directors of bachelor of nursing degree courses. RESULTS: As reasons for attrition, the directors highlighted a lack of preparation for nursing studies and students' limited awareness of possibilities for support and learning. The students emphasized insufficient support from academic staff and poor course organization. Economic and family issues and a misunderstanding of the professional role of a nurse were cited as reasons by both directors and students. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide important insight into attrition in the nursing programme. Further research is warranted, particularly in other contexts. Addressing student attrition requires a comprehensive approach that includes the provision of adequate support systems, mentorship, and resources for students.

Barriers to and facilitators of accelerated BSN students' success: a scoping review with possible strategies for success.

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review aims to map the evidence on barriers and facilitators of success with accelerated BSN (ABSN) students with the inclusion of faculty perspectives. METHODS: We followed the scoping review methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute for this review. The databases of CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched. RESULTS: The search resulted in 39 studies. The identified barriers were: Academic factors, non-academic factors, challenges faced by non-native English-speaking and ethnically diverse students, socialization struggles, and faculty perceptions. The facilitators identified were: Supportive environment and practices, benefits of ABSN program completion, students' background and life experiences, innovative learning strategies and school resources, and faculty perceptions. IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE: Given the global nature of the ABSN program now, findings from this scoping review and the strategies for success addressed in discussion will inform ABSN faculty and program managers about helpful strategies to support students' needs.

AI-generated vs. student-crafted assignments and implications for evaluating student work in nursing: an exploratory reflection.

OBJECTIVES: Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is an artificial intelligence-powered language model that can generate a unique outputs, in reponse to a user's textual request. This has raised concerns related to academic integrity in nursing education as students may use the platform to generate original assignment content. Subsequently, the objective of this quality improvement project were to explore and identify effective strategies that educators can use to discern AI-generated papers from student-written submissions. METHODS: Four nursing students were requested to submit two versions a Letter to the Editor assignement; one assignment that was written by the student; the other, exclusively generated by ChatGPT-3.5. RESULTS: AI-generated assignments were typically grammatically well-written, but some of the scholarly references used were outdated, incorrectly cited, or at times completely fabricated,. Additionally, the AI-generated assignments lacked detail and depth. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing educators should possess an understanding of the capabilities of ChatGPT-like technologies to further enhance nursing students' knowledge development and to ensure academic integrity is upheld.

Simulation design - peer-to-peer training as preparation for full-scale scenarios.

OBJECTIVES: Design of simulation training can have important implications for learning outcomes. This paper describes a pilot simulation training program for baccalaureate nursing students that includes intensive preparations, peer-to-peer skills training (P2P), prior to full-scale scenario training. METHODS: A quality improvement analysis of a large scale experimental, mixed methods study. The project describes the design, analysis, and potential effects of a simulation education program containing P2P for third year nursing students (163 in treatment; 148 in control, n=311). RESULTS: The intervention group was found to be significantly more confident in both technical and non-technical nursing skills. Results suggest that the addition of P2P training may have a direct positive impact and increase the impact on full-scale simulations and debriefing. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced focus on preparation activities prior to full-scale scenarios, including the use of P2P training methods are advocated.

Supporting nursing faculty to teach veteran's care: a mixed method, multi-intervention study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (a) describe nurse educators' attitudes towards veterans after workshop participation, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop and timed digital interventions (TDI) on nurse educators' integration of veteran-centered content into their courses and curricula, and (c) describe nurse educators' experiences with transferring learning from the workshop to teaching practice. METHODS: A longitudinal multi-intervention, multi-method pilot study was conducted using pre- and post-workshop surveys and interviews. RESULTS: Twenty-six nurse faculty reported a neutral attitude toward working with veterans during the pre-workshop survey period. TDIs kept veteran-centered content fresh on faculty minds, yielding evidence of integration into nursing courses. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing faculty preparation and development is crucial to effectively integrate specific veteran care content into nursing education to ensure a competent and culturally sensitive workforce. Integrating TDIs using widely accessible technologies is a cost-effective way of increasing engagement with new information and bridge implementation gaps associated with traditional professional development activities.

Development of clinical decision-making among undergraduate nursing students: the effect of unfolding case-based learning.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective cohort study evaluated the effect of unfolding case-based learning on undergraduate nursing students' self-perceived clinical decision-making ability. METHODS: Students' self-reported responses to Jenkins's Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale were compared between the unfolding case-based learning cohort (n=140) and the comparison cohort (n=126) at a school of nursing in the United States. RESULTS: The results revealed similar students' responses between the two study cohorts. However, unfolding case-based learning significantly increased students' perceived proficiency in "search for information and unbiased assimilation of new information". CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the present study highlight possibilities presented by unfolding case-based learning in undergraduate nursing education. The study supports that unfolding case studies can be introduced early on, and then nurtured throughout the undergraduate program to influence the development of nursing students' clinical decision-making skills.

Mapping of Iranian midwifery curriculum according to the International Confederation of midwives competencies.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the curriculum based on its success rate in preparing skilled midwives proficient in performing professional skills is a fundamental component of the midwifery education system. This study aimed to evaluate the content, strengths, and weaknesses of the midwifery curriculum in Iran based on the most recent ICM midwifery education standards in all competence areas, as well as to obtain expert feedback on the necessary courses or lessons for the curriculum using the Delphi method. METHODS: This research was conducted in two phases: comparative analysis and the Delphi method. In the comparative analysis, the curriculum mapping tool was used to compare Iran's midwifery curriculum for bachelor's degrees to the international standards for midwifery education proposed by ICM in 2019 by a four-point Likert scale (adequate- relatively adequate- relatively inadequate- inadequate). Two individuals evaluated the curriculum independently for the presence of theoretical and clinical courses for attaining each relevant competency. In case of disagreement, the opinion of a third person was used. After identifying the academic deficiencies and weaknesses of the curriculum, the Delphi technique was used with the cooperation of the midwifery board members and directors of midwifery groups from across the country to collect feedback about new courses or lessons that need to be incorporated into the curriculum. RESULTS: After a comparative analysis, 24 out of 315 essential competencies for ICM in the midwifery curriculum were found to be inadequate or relatively inadequate based on the three experts' opinions after reviewing the programmatic courses and lessons in the curriculum. In 79.5% of the knowledge area and 71.6% of the skill area, the curriculum for midwifery in Iran corresponded to ICM essential competencies. After surveying expert members during multiple Delphi rounds, the members agreed to add some lessons to the midwifery curriculum, design a new course, and hold related workshops to cover the competencies identified as inadequate or relatively inadequate in the comparative analysis. CONCLUSION: The Iranian midwifery curriculum for acquiring 24 items of ICM essential competencies was deemed inadequate or relatively inadequate. Therefore, it seems in addition to revising Iran's midwifery curriculum following ICM competencies, providing midwifery policymakers with infrastructure and additional support to develop and implement effective midwifery training programs is necessary to ensure that midwives are trained and equipped with the necessary competencies for practice.

The Inter Face of Social Media Recruitment and Nursing Education Research.

This study describes using social media in recruiting a large and hard-to-reach national sample of family nurse practitioner students in the United States enrolled in their final clinical course and the impact on survey response targets. Social media recruitment was initiated when sample targets were not met using traditional, direct email invitations. A cross-sectional, observational, complex-samples survey design was used to collect data from students enrolled in accredited programs. When inviting participants via emails to schools of nursing and program administrators was only moderately successful, direct recruitment via social media sites was used. Targeted study advertisements were shown 602 389 times to 77 410 unique Facebook users over 14 months. In the final sample of 3940 study participants, 46% (n = 1811) were recruited through social media. Survey responses for health education research are typically 50% or less of the target. Using Facebook was successful for recruiting a large, geographically disperse and representative student sample necessary to ensure findings were representative and generalizable. This recruitment strategy could be effectively used for a myriad of research in areas where social media use exists to gain access to participants who might otherwise not be accessible.

Using Collaborative Online International Learning to Support Global Midwifery Education.

BACKGROUND AND LOCAL PROBLEM: The COVID-19 pandemic created a gap in global health learning, requiring creative solutions to bridge the divide. Collaborative online international learning (COIL) is a program between universities located in different geographic areas that aims to build cross-cultural learning and collaboration. INTERVENTION: Faculty members from Uganda and the United States worked collaboratively to plan a 2-session COIL activity for nursing and midwifery students. Twenty-eight students from the United States and Uganda participated in the pilot quality improvement project. MEASURES: Students completed a 13-question REDCap survey measuring satisfaction, time commitment for the activity, and increase in knowledge about differently resourced healthcare systems. Students also were asked to provide qualitative feedback in that survey. RESULTS: Survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction and an increased understanding of a new healthcare system. The majority of students wanted more scheduled activity times, the opportunity to meet face to face, and/or more robust sessions in the future. CONCLUSION: This COIL activity between students in the United States and Uganda was a no-cost activity that provided global health learning opportunities for students during the global pandemic. The COIL model is replicable, adaptable, and customizable for a variety of courses and time spans.

An Investigation of Replication Practice in Nursing Education Research.

AIM: The project aims to explore replication, as a concept and practice, in nursing education research. BACKGROUND: Replication practices are important features supporting the science of nursing education. The absence of replication studies in the wider education community raises questions about the potential for similar absences in nursing education. As such, an investigation into replication practices within nursing education provides directions for future discussion. METHOD: Using Scopus and databases of nursing education journals, three search strategies were launched to assess replication practices using bibliometric data and content analysis. RESULTS: Inconsistency in definitions of the term replication creates barriers to recognizing replication attempts in the body of literature. Based on bibliometric data and content analysis, conceptual replication appears to be common in highly cited nursing education research. CONCLUSION: Within the academic nursing community, consensus on the meaning of the term and promotion of practices that support replication is recommended.

Adopting Open Educational Resources as an Equity Strategy.

ABSTRACT: Social determinants of learning (SDOL) impact students' abilities to successfully complete their courses. An economic barrier for vulnerable students is the skyrocketing cost of textbooks. An innovative strategy to promote equity in educational delivery is the adoption of open educational resources (OER). The Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) project published five OER textbooks with input from over 65 contributors and 300 reviewers. Open RN textbooks have received widespread national and international usage. Analysis of student outcomes indicates similar successful course completion rates by all students in OER course sections and increased rates of successful course completion by non-White students.

Developing BSN Students' Quality Improvement Skills Through Addressing Real-World Problems.

ABSTRACT: To create a preferred future for nursing, our prelicensure program teaches students to think critically, communicate effectively, and be leaders and change agents in health care. As seniors, students apply the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Model for Improvement to search the literature for research evidence about a problem, collect and analyze data, and perform a root cause analysis to develop solutions and plans for implementation. At the semester's end, formal presentations are provided to academic and practice partners.

An overview of menopause, and why this should feature within pre-registration education.

BACKGROUND: Over half the population (51%) of England and Wales is female, most of whom will experience menopause, either as a result of endocrine ageing or medical treatment. AIM: The project aimed to undertake a review of the literature to determine the level of knowledge about menopause that healthcare students are exposed to, and to highlight why it is important for them to have an understanding of this subject both for their own clinical practice and for supporting colleagues in the workplace. METHOD: A literature review was conducted by the project team. FINDINGS: There is a lack of education for healthcare students, who will go on to care for those affected by menopause, and will also work with colleagues experiencing menopause. CONCLUSION: Educational programmes should include menopause as a component, which will allow for a breaking down of barriers on a subject that is still generally considered taboo. RECOMMENDATIONS: A national audit should be conducted on menopause coverage in UK pre-registration nursing. The addition of menopause to the Liverpool John Moores University pre-registration nursing curriculum is also recommended based on agreed competencies.

Engaging the creative heArts of nurse educators: a novel conceptual model.

OBJECTIVES: Nurse educators are increasingly challenged in preparing future nurses to be creative thinkers. The purpose of this innovative quality improvement initiative is to share nursing students' interpretations of the value arts-based pedagogy (ABP) brings to their nursing practice. METHODS: Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis was utilized to identify and report patterns of ideas within learners' interpretations of engaging in an ABP assignment. RESULTS: The analysis of students' interpretations led to the creation of a novel conceptual model to encourage and support nurse educators in the use of innovative ABP approaches. CONCLUSIONS: ABP can be seamlessly integrated within teaching and learning methodologies to cultivate meaningful student learning. IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE: The intent of the conceptual model is to encourage and support nurse educators in the use of innovative ABP approaches designed for engaging nursing students in active, creative, and challenging learning environments.