The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nursing Education Programs.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Boards of Nursing (BONs) collect annual report data from their nursing programs as part of their approval process. This paper highlights the 2020 and 2021 annual report data on the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on all nursing programs in 17 BONs in 2020 and 19 in 2021. METHOD: Nursing programs answered 16 questions on the effect of COVID-19 on their programs. Because BONs require annual report data, all programs in the participating states answered the questions, which included 798 programs in 2020 and 929 in 2021. RESULTS: Major disruptions in nursing education occurred during the pandemic. Clinical experiences and didactic classes were greatly affected, though alternative strategies were used. Student and faculty attrition rates were particularly high in 2021. CONCLUSION: The authors call for a national forum where nurse leaders analyze what happened and make recommendations for future crisis events. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):312-319.].

Cognitive maturity of Portuguese nursing students to intervene in disasters: initial training contribution.

OBJECTIVE: To understand whether, from the perspective of coordinators/directors of nursing courses and nurses with skills in the field of disasters, nursing students have the necessary cognitive maturity to articulate the various dimensions inherent to the area of disasters, allowing efficient performance. METHOD: A study with a qualitative methodological approach, based on inductive reasoning and rigorous phenomenon description, based on exploratory research. RESULTS: Given the specificity and complexity of these phenomena, the inclusion of the disaster domain in the teaching-learning process, supporting valid knowledge construction and allowing the development and maturity of nursing students' cognitive processes, is crucial. CONCLUSION: Currently, reduced technical-scientific training in the field of disasters in Portugal constitutes a barrier in the development of nursing students' cognitive maturity, impeding their ability to respond when faced with phenomena of this complexity.

Advancing Health Equity Through Artificial Intelligence: An Educational Framework for Preparing Nurses in Clinical Practice and Research.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into health care offers the potential to enhance patient care, improve diagnostic precision, and broaden access to health-care services. Nurses, positioned at the forefront of patient care, play a pivotal role in utilizing AI to foster a more efficient and equitable health-care system. However, to fulfil this role, nurses will require education that prepares them with the necessary skills and knowledge for the effective and ethical application of AI. This article proposes a framework for nurses which includes AI principles, skills, competencies, and curriculum development focused on the practical use of AI, with an emphasis on care that aims to achieve health equity. By adopting this educational framework, nurses will be prepared to make substantial contributions to reducing health disparities and fostering a health-care system that is more efficient and equitable.

Tool or Tyrant: Guiding and Guarding Generative Artificial Intelligence Use in Nursing Education.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve rapidly, its integration into nursing education is inevitable. This article presents a narrative exploring the implementation of generative AI in nursing education and offers a guide for its strategic use. The exploration begins with an examination of the broader societal impact and uses of artificial intelligence, recognizing its pervasive presence and the potential it holds. Thematic analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats collected from nurse educators across the southeastern United States in this case-based descriptive study used four codes: time, innovation, critical thinking, and routine tasks. Findings from the qualitative analysis revealed the overarching themes that AI can serve as both a tool and a tyrant, offering opportunities for efficiency and innovation while posing challenges of transparency, ethical use, and AI literacy. By establishing ethical guidelines, fostering AI literacy, and promoting responsible implementation in nursing education with a clear articulation of expectations, nurse educators can guide and guard the use of generative AI. Despite the concerns, the transformative potential of generative AI to enhance teaching methodologies and prepare students for the interprofessional health-care workforce provides a multitude of innovative opportunities for teaching and learning.

Work With ChatGPT, Not Against: 3 Teaching Strategies That Harness the Power of Artificial Intelligence.

BACKGROUND: Technological advances have expanded nursing education to include generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. PROBLEM: Generative AI tools challenge academic integrity, pose a challenge to validating information accuracy, and require strategies to ensure the credibility of AI-generated information. APPROACH: This article presents a dual-purpose approach integrating AI tools into prelicensure nursing education to enhance learning while promoting critical evaluation skills. Constructivist theories and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development framework support this integration, with AI as a scaffold for developing critical thinking. OUTCOMES: The approach involves practical activities for students to engage with AI-generated content critically, thereby reinforcing clinical judgment and preparing them for AI-prevalent health care environments. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating AI tools such as ChatGPT into nursing curricula represents a strategic educational advancement, equipping students with essential skills to navigate modern health care.

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.

Bringing Clinical Context to the Classroom in Nursing Pharmacology: A Case Study.

ABSTRACT: Patient safety is part and parcel of nursing care and is taught throughout nursing education, particularly in core pharmacology, first-semester courses. This timing does not allow for clinical application and fosters a theory-practice gap. Transformational learning theory explains how teachers can engage students in active learning and introduce clinical context into a didactic classroom. To that end, an innovative pharmacology assignment, using a real-time nurse case study, was a structured, in-class activity. Post-class reflection focused on contextualizing learning for nursing students without clinical experience. Students reported transformed thinking regarding the importance of meaningful learning in nursing pharmacology.

La situación de la enfermería en la Región de las Américas. Informe final del Foro Regional para el Avance de la Enfermería en América Latina (8 y 9 de septiembre del 2022) / The situation of nursing in the Region of the Americas. Final report of the Regional Forum for the Advancement of Nursing in Latin America (September 8 and 9, 2022)

Los días 8 y 9 de septiembre del 2022, La Organización Panamericana de la Salud, la Federación Panamericana de Profesionales de Enfermería y la Facultad de Enfermería de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia celebraron el Foro Regional para el Avance de la Enfermería en América Latina. El objetivo del encuentro fue fomentar acciones con las asociaciones nacionales, las federaciones de profesionales y los colegios de enfermería dirigidas a avanzar el debate sobre la inversión nacional en los y las profesionales de enfermería y sobre la implantación de la enfermería de práctica avanzada para la atención primaria de salud. En este informe final se recogen los debates e intervenciones de ambas jornadas, así como las conclusiones y los próximos pasos acordados en el foro.(AU)

Reimagining a children's palliative care educational programme for registered nurses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Children with life-limiting conditions are a unique population with multiple health and social care needs. Key literature indicates the need for education to support registered nurses providing care, including palliative care, to these children. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a palliative care programme was converted to an online programme, adopting a blended approach between national and regional facilitators. OBJECTIVES: To assess nurses' satisfaction with a re-designed palliative care programme centred around the care of children with life-limiting conditions, including their perceptions of the online format. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive correlational design and online survey was used to explore the participants' perception of the content and online delivery of the Care of the Child with a Life-Limiting Condition programme. Nine sessions, comprised of five national and four regional webinars, were delivered. RESULTS: Attendees registered (n = 169) from throughout the Republic of Ireland, with 130 attending all webinars. Attendees stated online delivery of education increased their accessibility to highly qualified experts. The short, concise nature of sessions was well received. Online delivery and recorded sessions contributed to convenience with the ability to access and process information in attendees' own time being welcomed. However, the negative impact of losing face-to-face interactions was noted, including the opportunity to build relationships with colleagues caring for children with life-limiting conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the redesigned online programme contributed to participants' knowledge, encouraged participation and increased accessibility. An e-Learning model enables specialised education to be more equitable and accessible, ensuring regional areas are not disadvantaged due to geographical remoteness from tertiary educational centres. However, the lack of face-to-face contact was acknowledged as a hindrance to socialisation and networking. When developing future programmes, focus should be put on creating opportunities for networking and social development to compensate for the lack of face-to-face contact.

A 1-Year Accredited Nurse Residency Program's Effect on Intent to Leave.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the evaluation of a system-wide program to enhance new graduate nurse resident (NGNR) experience, enculturation, and commitment to the organization. BACKGROUND: Structured nurse residency programs support NGNR transition to the work environment and increase retention and organizational commitment. METHODS: The study used a descriptive, comparative design measuring NGNR perceptions of affective commitment, job satisfaction, job stress, and other variables over 3 times from baseline to 24 months. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated a reduction in affective commitment and an increase in nursing stress from baseline to 12 and 24 months of employment. The highest mean in intent to leave occurred at 12 months, highlighting the vulnerability of the NGNR at that time. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse leaders must consider resources supporting NGNRs beyond the traditional 12 months to ensure retention and organizational commitment, thereby decreasing intent to leave.

A New Framework for Practice-Academic Partnerships During the Pandemic-and into the Future.

ABSTRACT: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care facilities closed their doors to nursing students, depriving them of the experience of caring for patients, a foundation of nursing education. The purpose of this article is to report on how the National Council of State Boards of Nursing convened nurse leaders from around the country to explore this problem and develop possible solutions.Coming together virtually, these leaders recommended a national model, the practice-academic partnership, to provide nursing students with in-person clinical experiences during the pandemic. This model is unique in its recognition of the important role of nursing regulatory bodies in these partnerships. The practice-academic partnership model creates clinical education opportunities for students during a public health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the model could be applied to meet the chronic challenges nursing education programs have often faced in securing clinical sites, even in the absence of a global or national public health emergency. We provide the context in which the practice-academic partnership model was developed, along with keys to its successful implementation and suggestions for its evaluation. We also discuss the implications of using this model once the pandemic ends.