It Is Up to Faculty: An Exploration of Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student Intent for Faculty Role.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore registered nurse (RN)-to-bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students' intent to pursue a faculty role. BACKGROUND: The nursing faculty shortage is predicted to worsen as faculty reach retirement age. The shortage affects enrollment into nursing programs because of lack of qualified faculty. Increasing the number of faculty available is critical to maintain nurses needed to care for citizens. METHOD: Using a qualitative descriptive approach, RN-to-BSN students were asked about their intent to become faculty later in their career. RESULTS: Eight RNs pursuing their BSN were interviewed. Five themes emerged from interviews: modeling the role, positive and negative; planting the seed; perceiving rather than knowing; seeing the light bulb go on; and weighing the pros and cons. CONCLUSION: Nursing faculty can influence RN-to-BSN students' intent to become faculty and can attract students to the role by conveying enthusiasm, being collegial, and maintaining clinical relevance.

Benefits of an Online Interactive Educational Program Over Traditional Textbooks.

BACKGROUND: Technology has become increasingly prominent in nursing education. Online learning platforms may be more useful than traditional textbooks in promoting active learning, engagement, and satisfaction. PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate a new online interactive education program (OIEP) that replaces traditional textbooks and to understand student and faculty satisfaction, perceived efficacy of the program, student engagement, and whether the OIEP can help NCLEX preparation and reduce burnout. METHOD: This retrospective study assessed student and faculty perceptions of the constructs using quantitative and qualitative measures. Perceptions were measured at 2 time points each: halfway through the semester and again at its conclusion. RESULTS: Mean efficacy scores of groups were high at both time points. Students showed significant increases in content constructs, which were supported by faculty perceptions of students. Students agreed that using the OIEP throughout their program would significantly increase preparedness for NCLEX. CONCLUSION: The OIEP may better support nursing students throughout school and on NCLEX than traditional textbooks.

National Study of Nursing Faculty and Administrators' Perceptions of Professional Identity in Nursing.

BACKGROUND: Establishing a professional identity in nursing is integral to professional development, yet this area of inquiry remains understudied. PURPOSE: This segment of a multiphased national study measured nursing faculty's perceived level of importance regarding key components of professional identity in nursing using the newly developed Professional Identity in Nursing Survey (PINS). METHODS: Fifty subject matter experts from nursing education, practice, and regulation utilized the DeVellis scale development process to develop the PINS over the course of 2 years. Nearly 1200 nurse educators evaluated the importance of a 34-item scale relating to professional identity in nursing. RESULTS: At endorsement of 95% or greater, 28 items were found to be important components of nursing identity. Effective communication, integrity, and being trustworthy and respectful were reported as most important to nursing identity. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse educators identified the important items to assess professional identity in nursing. Item refinement and psychometric evaluation of the survey are the next phase of the multiphased study.

Revolutionizing the Nursing Curriculum.

There have long been challenges associated with integrating knowledge about diversity, disparities, and determinants into nursing curricula. Villarruel, Bigelow, and Alvarez describe these concepts as the three Ds about issues of disconnects and discrimination. These disconnects are evidenced by years of communicating the desire to reduce or eliminate disparities, without improvement in the education of future nurse professionals to prepare them to help achieve this goal. Over 10 years ago, Allen reviewed the literature on evidence to guide teaching on cross-cultural care and antiracism in nursing education, yet very little has changed. It is essential that academic nursing weaves health equity concepts throughout all programs, and establishes and maintains competency in and commitment to addressing health disparities, inequalities, and inequities. This article provides evidence of continued bias and racism, and suggestions for curricular change and student and educator training, in order to rebuild and solidify a nursing curriculum that is nonbiased and inclusive. The suggestions include a deeper look at the structures of the organization and the systemic culture, to ensure that racism is being combated as well.

Clinical decision making in undergraduate nursing students: A mixed methods multisite study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision making is an integral part of what nurses do, yet little is known about how students learn how to make clinical decisions or about the nature of the clinical decisions they make-whether intuitive or analytical. This multischool, multistate embedded mixed methods study was conducted to better understand these phenomena within the context of Hammond's Cognitive Continuum Theory. The content for this manuscript was taken from the primary author's dissertation. METHODS: Students (N = 168) completed the NDMI-Revised 2014; followed by focus groups. RESULTS: Three quarters of the participants (n = 127) scored in the quasi-rational range of clinical decision making indicating they are flexible making decisions dependent on the situation. Six themes described how students made clinical decisions. CONCLUSIONS: Participants were flexible decision makers who used the help of others, lessons learned, the wisdom of nurses, experience, the situation at hand, and systematic cognitive processing to make clinical decisions.

Integrating Mental Health Nursing in the Prelicensure Nursing Curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Learning to care for patients with mental health concerns is an important part of nursing school. Teaching mental health concepts across the nursing curriculum, rather than in just one course, prepares students for meeting the mental health needs of all clients. This article describes the integration of mental health concepts throughout an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program. METHOD: Faculty developed an innovative approach to integrate mental health throughout the curriculum in lieu of a stand-alone course. RESULTS: Quantitative metrics remained consistent when comparing cohorts before and after the integration of mental health. However, students did not recognize mental health content within the program. CONCLUSION: Integrating mental health concepts in the prelicensure nursing curriculum enables students to learn and understand how to care for clients with mental health concerns in any clinical setting. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(7):405-408.].

RN-to-BSN Students' Intent to Become Faculty: A Multisite Study.

BACKGROUND: A nursing faculty shortage means fewer nurses, exacerbating nursing shortages. PURPOSE: The purpose was to determine RN-to-BSN students' intent for a future nurse faculty role. A secondary purpose was to evaluate differences between students who indicated high and low intent to pursue a faculty role. METHODS: The study was multisite and multimethod using 5 instruments. RESULTS: Of 137 RN-to-BSN students who completed the online survey, 20% indicated they intended to pursue a future faculty role. Students with high intent to pursue a faculty role reported higher self-efficacy and interests in faculty activities. Only 6 of the high-intent students had been encouraged to pursue a future faculty role. CONCLUSIONS: RN-to-BSN students may be receptive to encouragement to consider a nursing faculty role in the future.