Generic competence among health sciences students in higher education - A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Highly competent health care experts are needed for the development of the social and health care sectors. More knowledge is needed on the levels of generic competencies that health sciences experts possess, particularly in the context of complex decision-making. OBJECTIVES: To describe self-evaluated generic competence of health sciences students and its associated factors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study design. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 291 health science students in five universities in Finland participated in this study during the spring of 2022. METHODS: The data was collected by using the HealthGenericCom instrument with 88 items and 8 sum dimensions using a five-point Likert scale (1-poor to 5-excellent): 1) competence in leadership, administration, and finance; 2) people-centred guiding competence; 3) competence of health promotion; 4) competence of evidence-based practice; 5) digital competence; 6) competence in work well-being and self-management; 7) competence in collaboration and problem-solving, and 8) competence in societal interaction. The K-means cluster algorithm was used to classify generic competence profiles to identify the profiles of health sciences students. RESULTS: Four generic health sciences competence profiles (A = 18 %, B = 23 %, C = 33 %, D = 26 %) were identified. Profile A demonstrated the lowest level of most generic competencies in health sciences. Digital competence was shown to be at the lowest level among the participants, whereas competence in collaboration, problem-solving, and health promotion was evaluated as the highest competence level. The students evaluated their competence as being higher when they were older, were currently engaged in master's degree programmes, had completed work-based practical training in social and health care, and had varied work experiences or held leading positions. CONCLUSIONS: Students need to improve their generic competencies in health sciences, with a particular focus on developing their digital competence. More focus should be given to work-based practical training.

The experiences of social and health care and health sciences educators of implementing hybrid teaching in higher education: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Educators in the social and health care and health sciences fields play a key role in developing the competencies of health professionals and experts. The increase in hybrid education in higher education provides flexible education but also causes additional stress for educators. In order to develop educators' competencies in hybrid teaching, it is necessary to understand educators' experiences of that. In this study, hybrid teaching means synchronous face-to-face and distance teaching. OBJECTIVES: The study aims to describe the experiences of social and health care and health sciences educators of hybrid teaching in higher education. DESIGN: We employed a qualitative descriptive research design. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 21 social and health care and health sciences educators were interviewed. METHODS: The data was collected through semi-structured interviews in seven group interviews and an individual interview from February 2022 to April 2022. The data was analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Educators felt that hybrid education brought flexibility to their teaching activities and have implemented it successfully. Moreover, educators shared that implementing hybrid teaching requires them to have pedagogical competence and technology skills, ensuring interaction with students and creating a safe learning environment. Their positive attitude towards digital pedagogy is essential. Educators recognised the need to ensure students' digital skills in hybrid education. Moreover, challenges related to assessment were also identified. Educators experienced increased workload due to pressures, psychological strain and distribution of attention. They felt that they needed support and adequate resources to implement it. CONCLUSIONS: The results have societal value in enhancing educators' continual professional development, developing high-quality evidence-based teaching and student skills, and assessing and applying different digital solutions to hybrid education.

Nurse leaders' perceptions of competence-based management of culturally and linguistically diverse nurses: A descriptive qualitative study.

AIM(S): To describe nurse leaders' perceptions of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nurses' competence-based management. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study of the competence-based management of CALD nurses, from the perspectives of nurse leaders in three primary and specialised medical care organisations. This study followed the COREQ guidelines. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 13 nurse leaders. Eligible interviewees were required to have management experience, and experience of working with or recruiting CALD nurses. Data were collected during November 2021-March 2022. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Competence-based management was explored in terms of competence identification and assessment of CALD nurses, aspects which constrain and enable competence sharing with them, and aspects which support their continuous competence development. Competencies are identified during the recruitment process, and assessment is based primarily on feedback. Organisations' openness to external collaboration and work rotation supports competence sharing, as does mentoring. Nurse leaders have a key role in continuous competence development as they organise tailored induction and training, and can indirectly reinforce nurses' work commitment and wellbeing. CONCLUSION(S): Strategic competence-based management would enable all organisational competencies potential to be utilised more productively. Competence sharing is a key process for the successful integration of CALD nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this study can be utilised to develop and standardise competence-based management in healthcare organisations. For nursing management, it is important to recognise and value nurses' competence. IMPACT: The role of CALD nurses in the healthcare workforce is growing, and there is little research into the competence-based management of such nurses. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

The influence of digital learning on health sciences students' competence development- A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health care experts need high levels of competence, yet there is little evidence on the influence of digital learning on health science students' competence development. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe health sciences students' experiences of the development of their competence and the influences of digital learning upon their competence. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive research. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 15 health sciences students were interviewed. METHODS: The data was collected by using individual semi-structured interviews during the spring of 2021. The data was analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The health sciences students felt that their expertise encompasses motivation for future career development, understanding the social and professional influences on their career development, versatile expertise in various aspects of health sciences, and developing competence in different learning environments. The students recognized that digital learning requires the active participation, digitalization is a part of a successful learning environment, and digital learning challenges social interactions. The students' digital learning facilitated competence development, which broadened their understanding of skills relevant to health sciences; however, these benefits could only be obtained when including adequate support. CONCLUSIONS: The results hold social value for the development of health sciences education as policy-makers can use the presented information to develop high-quality, digital learning procedures.

Social, health care and rehabilitation educators' competence in professional education-Empirical testing of a model.

The social and health care educator's role in educating future professionals need to be stronger emphasised and deserves international recognition. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an empirical model of social and health care educators' competence in higher and professional education. The presented research employed a cross-sectional study design. Data were collected using HeSoEduCo-instrument from 28 educational institutions in Finland. The model was empirically tested with confirmatory factor analysis through Structural Equation Modelling that applied the Full Imputation Maximum Likelihood estimator. A total of 422 social and health care educators participated in the study. The empirical model of social and health care educators including eight competence areas: leadership and management, collaboration and societal, evidence-based practice, subject and curriculum, mentoring students in professional competence development, student-centred pedagogy, digital collaborative learning, and cultural and linguistic diversity. All of the connections between concepts of the empirical model were found to be statistically significant. There were strong connections between most of the identified competence concepts; however, two weak connections were found, namely, the link between competence in evidence-based practice and competence in subject and curriculum, along with the link between competence in digital collaborative learning and competence in student-centred pedagogy. The presented empirical model can help stakeholders identify which areas of social and health care educators' curricula should be further developed. The model is also relevant for improving continuous education, allowing educators to assess their competence levels and evaluating educators' performance at the organisational level.

The ward manager role in the context of nursing and midwifery students' clinical learning: Testing a model.

AIM: To test a model of clinical learning that focuses on the role of the ward manager. BACKGROUND: The ward manager's role in supporting clinical learning indirectly focuses on the ward climate connected to students' clinical placements. In this way, the ward manager influences both nursing care and the pedagogical atmosphere in the ward. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, secondary analysis. METHODS: The sample included nursing and midwifery students (N = 5,776, n = 1,900) who had completed their clinical placement. Data were collected with the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale. Structural equation modelling was adopted to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: Estimates of the model parameters demonstrated that a ward manager's leadership style influences both the premises of nursing at the ward (0.84, p < .001) and the pedagogical atmosphere (0.93, p < .001), although the pedagogical atmosphere affects the mentoring relationship (0.87-0.86, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Ward managers exert a significant influence on the clinical learning environment via their support for an effective pedagogical atmosphere and, consequently, effective mentoring. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Leadership style guides both the premises of nursing at the ward and pedagogical atmosphere. These findings recommend that ward managers should be involved in promoting a supportive learning climate, which supports the mentor-student relationship and, eventually, leads to effective clinical learning.

Clustering clinical learning environment and mentoring perceptions of nursing and midwifery students: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: This study aimed to explore nursing and midwifery students' evaluation of the clinical learning environment and mentoring and to identify distinct student profiles relating to their perceptions. DESIGN: This study employed a cross-sectional design. SETTINGS: The study population included nursing and midwifery students in a university hospital in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: All nursing and midwifery students who completed their clinical placement were invited to take part in the study in the academic year 2017-2018. METHODS: The data (N = 2,609) were gathered through an online survey using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale. The data were analysed using a K-mean cluster algorithm to identify nursing and midwifery students' profiles. RESULTS: The findings from this study indicate four distinct profiles (A, B, C, & D) of nursing and midwifery students in relation to the clinical learning environment and mentoring. Profile A (N = 1,352) students evaluated their clinical learning environment and mentoring to the highest level (mean varied from 9.44-8.38); and Profile D (N = 151)- to the lowest (mean varied from 5.93-4.00). CONCLUSION: The findings highlight that nursing and midwifery students evaluate their clinical learning environment and mentoring more highly when: they have a named mentor, student and mentor discuss learning goals, there is a final assessment in clinical learning, the mentor's guidance skills support student learning, the clinical learning supports the student's professional development and pre-clinical teaching in an educational institution supports learning in the clinical placement. IMPACT: Clinical learning plays an important role in nurse and midwifery education. Mentoring of clinical practice was shown to have a great influence on students' perceptions of their success in clinical learning. We suggest that clinical practice should be strengthened by the building of collaboration between nursing teachers and registered nurses.

Digital collaborative learning in nursing education: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions in digital collaborative learning implemented in nursing education. DESIGN: A systematic literature review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines and the PRISMA statement. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL (EBSCO), ERIC, MEDLINE (Ovid) and Scopus databases were used to identify original peer-reviewed RCT studies published between 2003 and 2018. REVIEW METHOD: The 'hits' were systematically screened by title, abstract and full text by two authors acting independently. The quality of the selected original studies was evaluated using the quality assessment criteria of the JBI and Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. The studies were analysed by narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Five peer-reviewed RCT studies were included in the review. All participants in these studies (647 in total) were nursing students exposed to educational interventions in various nursing programme courses. The reviewed studies indicated that digital collaborative learning increased students' knowledge and nursing skills. The results show that collaborative learning in digital learning environments enhanced nursing students' interaction and collaborative skills, problem-solving skills, satisfaction and motivation for learning. CONCLUSION: Collaborative learning in digital learning environments has encouraging effects in enhancing nursing students' knowledge, competence, satisfaction and problem-solving skills. Moreover, evidence-based digital collaborative learning is becoming increasingly effective in nursing education, as available tools and teachers' abilities to use them are improving and providing new learning activities to boost students' learning outcomes in higher education. Thus, its systematic use in digital collaborative learning environments in various nursing courses is recommended.

Health science student teachers' perceptions of teacher competence: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health science teacher competence is multifaceted and continuously changing according to national and international healthcare standards. Organizational restructuring and emphasis on cost effectiveness is changing the scope of health science teachers' practical work and their role in healthcare (worldwide). AIM: This study aimed to describe student teachers' perceptions of the competencies needed to work as an educator in the healthcare field. Objective of study was to gain new knowledge which can be used in the development of teacher education programs in nursing science and to define a broader definition of the health science educators. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted. Data were collected from 23 Finnish students completing a master's degree in teaching in the healthcare context using focus group interviews. The data were analyzed by inductive content analysis. RESULTS: The student teachers identified eight main categories of teacher competence: leadership and management competence; evidence-based practice competence; subject competence; ethical competence; pedagogical competence; collaboration competence; internationalization competence; and continuous professional development competence. CONCLUSION: This study identified essential teacher competencies that can be evaluated among students to develop health science teacher curricula. The findings can be used in follow-up studies or comparative research to investigate competence differences between novice and experienced teachers.

Qualitative study of social and healthcare educators' perceptions of their competence in education.

Competent educators are needed to ensure that social and healthcare professionals are effective and highly competent. However, there is too little evidence-based knowledge of current and required enhancements of educators' competences in this field. The aim of this study was to describe social and healthcare educators' perceptions of their competence in education. The study had a qualitative design, based on interviews with educators and rooted in critical realism. Forty-eight participants were recruited from seven universities of applied sciences and two vocational colleges in Finland, with the assistance of contact persons nominated by the institutions. The inclusion criterion for participation was employment by an educational institution as a part-time or full-time, social and/or healthcare educator. Data were collected in the period February-April 2018. The participants were interviewed in 16 focus groups with two to five participants per group. The acquired data were subjected to inductive content analysis, which yielded 506 open codes, 48 sub-categories, nine categories and one main category. The educators' competence was defined as a multidimensional construct, including categories of educators' competences in practicing as an educator, subject, ethics, pedagogy, management and organisation, innovation and development, collaboration, handling cultural and linguistic diversity, and continuous professional development. Educators recognised the need for developing competence in innovation to meet rapid changes in a competitive and increasingly global sociopolitical environment. Enhancement of adaptability to rapid changes was recognised as a necessity. The findings have social value in identifying requirements to improve social and healthcare educators' competence by helping educational leadership to improve educational standards, construct a continuous education framework and create national and/or international curricula for teacher education degree programs to enhance the quality of education. We also suggest that educational leadership needs to establish, maintain and strengthen collaborative strategies to provide effective, adaptable support systems, involving educators and students, in their working practices.

Culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' experiences of learning in a clinical environment: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

CONTEXT: Learning in the clinical environment of healthcare students plays a significant part in higher education. The greatest challenges for culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students were found in clinical placements, where differences in language and culture have been shown to cause learning obstacles for students. There has been no systematic review conducted to examine culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' experiences of their learning in the clinical environment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to identify culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' experiences of learning in a clinical environment. METHODS: The search strategy followed the guidelines of the Centre of Reviews and Dissemination. The original studies were identified from seven databases (CINAHL, Medline Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premiere, Eric and Cochrane Library) for the period 2000-2014. Two researchers selected studies based on titles, abstracts and full texts using inclusion criteria and assessed the quality of studies independently. Twelve original studies were chosen for the review. RESULTS: The culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' learning experiences were divided into three influential aspects of learning in a clinical environment: experiences with implementation processes and provision; experiences with peers and mentors; and experiences with university support and instructions. The main findings indicate that culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students embarking on clinical placements initially find integration stressful. Implementing the process of learning in a clinical environment requires additional time, well prepared pedagogical orientation, prior cultural and language education, and support for students and clinical staff. Barriers to learning by culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students were not being recognized and individuals were not considered motivated; learners experienced the strain of being different, and faced language difficulties. Clinical staff attitudes influenced students' clinical learning experiences and outcomes. CONCLUSION: Additional education in culture and language for students and clinical staff is considered essential to improve the clinical learning experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students. Further studies of culturally and linguistically diverse healthcare students' learning experiences in the clinical environment need to be conducted in order to examine influential aspects on the clinical learning found in the review.