An e-Problem-Based Learning Program for Infection Control in Nursing Homes: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Infection is a significant factor adversely affecting the health of nursing home (NH) residents, potentially even leading to death. Therefore, educating NH staff to think critically is necessary to prevent and control infection. In this study, we developed an electronic problem-based learning (e-PBL) program using the Network-Based Instructional System Design model to enhance South Korean NH staff's critical thinking competencies; subsequently, its effectiveness was evaluated. This study utilized a quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest-post-test design. The participants (n = 54) were randomly allocated into an experimental group (n = 28) and a control group (n = 26). The results indicate that the e-PBL program significantly improved the critical thinking disposition in the experimental group compared with in the control group.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap for Pressure Injury Management in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries in nursing homes remain a consistent problem. Unfortunately, despite the variety of pressure injury education offered in nursing homes, the knowledge learned cannot be applied in practice, and as a result, the prevalence and incidence of such injuries are consistently high. This study aimed to address those gaps by analyzing the nursing competency for pressure injury management and implementing pressure injury education programs in nursing homes. METHODS: Two phases were conducted based on the action cycle in the knowledge to action model. During the first phase, a framework was constructed by analyzing nursing experience. The second phase consisted of the implementation and monitoring of the program to evaluate the effects of the framework. RESULTS: The main results for nursing competencies for pressure injury management in nursing homes are integrated thinking, understanding in an environmental context, interpersonal relationships for efficient decision making, and meeting any challenges to professional development. The results concerning the program's effects showed significant differences in the participants' knowledge, attitude, stage discrimination ability, and clinical management judgment ability. CONCLUSION: The educational framework and program derived from this study are expected to improve nurses' pressure injury management competency in nursing homes and to contribute to effective pressure injury management and quality of life for residents in nursing homes.

The Development and Effectiveness of a Web-Based Emergency Management Educational Program for Long-Term Care Facility Interprofessional Practitioners.

Long-term care facility (LTCF) interprofessional practitioners who care for residents at high risk of emergencies due to old age, frailty, and complex diseases must be able to manage such emergencies collaboratively. A shared mental model (SMM) enhances performance toward a common goal by allowing effective collaboration through promoting the sharing of knowledge and skills among interprofessional team members. Therefore, this study developed a web-based educational program for LTCF interprofessional practitioners based on an SMM. We followed a network-based instructional system design that consists of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation for developing the program. A total of 54 participants completed the educational program in four LTCFs in South Korea. A significant improvement was identified in communication knowledge, communication confidence, role recognition, transactive memory system, and team effectiveness in the experimental group. The results show that the program improved the emergency management process and reliability among interprofessional practitioners, positively impacting interprofessional collaboration and ensuring the safety of patients during emergencies in LTCFs.

The Development and Effectiveness of Combining Case-Based Online Lecture and Simulation Programs to Facilitate Interprofessional Function Care Training in Nursing Homes.

The aim of this study was to (1) develop a case-based combination of online lectures and simulations for function-focused care by nursing home interdisciplinary caregivers and (2) evaluate participants' increasing shared team and task knowledge by surrogate measures of team process and team performance. The study comprised the following steps: (1) the design of a learning module using a shared understanding of function-focused care as a shared mental model; (2) the establishment of two computer programs for online lectures and simulations using cases involving older adults with disabilities; and (3) testing the educational programs using a repeated-measures design. Participants were 61 interdisciplinary caregivers from seven nursing homes in four regions. Data from participants' team process and team performance were collected pre test, post online lecture, and post simulation. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed that the mean scores for scales of "transactive memory system," "knowledge sharing and utilization," "team outcomes," "motivation for learning transfer," "self-efficacy," "interpersonal understanding," "proactivity in problem solving," and "function-focused care knowledge" differed significantly between the time points. The results indicate that a case-based program of a combination of online lectures and simulations elicits significant improvements in participants' team process and team performance.