Identifying undergraduate nurses´ learning requirements and teaching strategies in dementia care education: A nominal group technique.

AIM: Identify priorities and reach a consensus on student nurses´ learning requirements and the best-suited teaching strategies in dementia care. BACKGROUND: Dementia has become a global health priority. Nurses are primary service providers for people with dementia, but they may fall short on professional training. Nursing curricula still lacks a clear educational framework for dementia, meaning that nurse educators must make decisions amidst uncertainty. DESIGN: Nominal group technique based on the conceptual framework proposed by Van de Ven and Delbecq (1972). METHODS: A structured face-to-face meeting convened in November 2021 involved nine participants who were directly involved in dementia care. The steps in the technique were (a) idea generation, (b) round-robin recording, (c) discussion, (d) voting and ranking, (e) discussion on the vote and (f) re-ranking. Participants answered two nominal questions. Consent, anonymity, feedback and iteration were guaranteed throughout the process. RESULTS: The nominal group prioritized theoretical understanding of dementia, communication, caregivers´ needs, comprehensive assessment and ethical practice as learning requirements for nursing students. The outstanding teaching strategy discussed included various approaches to experiential learning. CONCLUSIONS: The nominal group technique process explored learning requirement priorities for student nurses within a specific context. Participants discussed experiential learning as the best-suited teaching strategy. Findings could support nurse educators to design and deliver better dementia education.

Teaching and learning about dementia care among undergraduate nursing students: A scoping review.

AIM: Review available evidence on teaching methods and learning outcomes among undergraduate nursing students regarding care for people with dementia. BACKGROUND: The debilitating nature and the rapidly growing number of dementia cases will cause significant increase in the demand of healthcare services. Nurses play an essential role in improving the quality of care for people with dementia, although some evidence suggests that training in dementia care among nurses is poor. DESIGN: A scoping review of the literature. following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. The source of evidence selection adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review. METHODS: Data sources were Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Centre and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were studies found through database search up to 15th December 2020, published in English or Spanish with data regarding any method used for dementia education among undergraduate nursing students. RESULTS: 19 studies were included in this review. The identified methods were simulation (n = 5), awareness-raising activities (n = 4), placement (n = 3), home visits (n = 3), combined activities (n = 3) and service learning (n = 1). Learning outcomes were measured in terms of knowledge, attitudes, preparedness, empathy, self-confidence, self-efficacy, awareness and students´ perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review has found high heterogeneity among dementia education programs and learning outcomes. Nursing education can be enhanced by designing and measuring effective and evidence-based educational interventions so that nursing students develop competencies which make it easier to deliver quality care for people with dementia.

Exploring the effect of two different teaching strategies on first-year nursing students' understanding of nutritional concepts: A mixed-method approach.

AIM: The aim of the study was twofold. First, to explore understanding difficulties in nutritional concepts among nursing students and second, to analyse the effect of two teaching strategies on the level of understanding. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have pointed out the need to improve the nutritional care education offered to undergraduates in health sciences. As nurses play a crucial role in lifestyle counselling and nutrition assessment, it is essential to identify the learning difficulties that can impair their learning capacity and the more effective teaching strategy in the nutrition area during the nursing degree. DESIGN: A pretest-posttest study was conducted with a mixed-method conversion design. METHODS: 146 first-year-nursing students were included. Two teaching methods, debate-based learning and lecture-based learning were used for instruction on the effect of macronutrient intake on an individual's state of health. Each group completed two open-ended questions before and after the intervention. Firstly, phenomenographic analysis was performed to identify the learning categories representing variations in students' understanding. Secondly, qualitative data were quantised and statistically analysed to address differences in learning improvement. RESULTS: More than 40% of students struggled with the idea that proteins are associated with weight gain independently of the teaching strategy applied. In the first evaluation question, the debate-based learning teaching method improved students' learning, achieving higher levels of understanding (p < 0.05). In the second evaluation question, no significant differences were found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Areas of problematic knowledge in nutrition education have been identified for the first time that will allow nurse educators to design research-based teaching strategies. Further studies are necessary not only on how to address these misconceptions in nursing students, but also to investigate how nurse educators can contribute to deeper levels of student learning.

The use of structured debate as a teaching strategy among undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Nurse educators are required to prepare graduates for the increasing complexities of the practice environment. Debate is an active teaching strategy long recognised in many disciplines to promote student-centred learning by enhancing the development of communication skills, collaboration, and critical thinking, all of which are essential skill for future nurses. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare in-class university structured debate implementation methods among undergraduate nursing students, and to identify the effect of such debate methods in the students' learning. DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature. DATA SOURCES: Publications in English identified in multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline and ERIC) from the launch of the database until 26th November 2019. REVIEW METHOD: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided the review. Studies that investigated the use of in-class debate among undergraduate nursing students as a pedagogical tool were eligible. Information related to the study design, debate process characteristics, evaluation method of the teaching strategy and results were collected. RESULTS: We identified 14 relevant studies describing structured implementation of debate, 11 of which were instructional design and 3 quasi-experimental studies. Heterogeneity was found across the papers regarding topics, timing schedules, group formation and positioning. Most of the studies evaluated implementation using satisfaction questionnaires or subjective observations. Three quasi-experimental studies reported that implementation of debating improved declarative capacity, argumentative capacity, idealistic moral judgment, and realistic moral judgment. CONCLUSIONS: Current studies do not provide enough evidence to understand the scope of structured debating as an instrument to develop personal competences needed in nursing. However, based on the evidence reviewed, we have identified elements to establish a debate-based learning format that might enhance student's learning and future studies.

With a smartphone in one's pocket: A descriptive cross-sectional study on smartphone use, distraction and restriction policies in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: The use of personal smartphones is a reality in healthcare settings. Current research is allowing us to understand in what ways they help with communication and decision making at the point of care and their impact on patient safety. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to characterize the use of smartphones by nursing students, and assess their opinions about the use of such phones as a distracting factor during clinical practicum and smartphone restriction policies. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: 234 students from one School of Nursing in Spain completed the survey in 2017. METHODS: A questionnaire was created based on various validated instruments for assessing students' use of smartphones, distraction associated with this use and the development of policies on their use during clinical practice. RESULTS: While 23.3% of participants admitting to using their smartphone for personal reasons at least once during their practicum, they perceived that their own level of distraction was low (6.9%). Notably, the level of distraction associated with others' smartphone use was perceived to be higher than that associated with their own use. Students' opinions about policies were significantly related to the frequency of witnessing other students and nurses being distracted (r = 0.139, p < 0.05), but not to their own distraction experiences (r = 0.114, p = 0.084). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphones are not widely used for professional purposes among nursing students, while personal use is commonplace. Nurse educators, students and nurse mentors need to work together to introduce strategies to facilitate care delivery through the use of mobile devices but at the same time must be aware of the risks associated with distractions, including to patient safety.

Nursing students' misunderstandings when learning about stroke care: A phenomenographic study.

BACKGROUND: Considering the prevalence and complexity of a stroke, it is necessary to think about how undergraduate nursing students are developing knowledge for stroke care. AIM: To obtain a vision of nursing students' learning, exploring difficulties concerning understanding stroke care delivery. DESIGN: A phenomenographic research approach. LOCATIONS AND PARTICIPANTS: This research is based on written exam papers (n = 126) from third-year nursing students enrolled in the 2015-16 academic year in two Nursing Schools in Spain. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four conceptions in which students demonstrated difficulties understanding stroke care delivery: 1) limitation of the neurological assessment to the level of consciousness and use of the Glasgow Coma Scale; 2) association of haemorrhagic stroke with hypovolaemia; 3) justification of the need for appropriate patient positioning and postural changes based solely on preventing pressure ulcers; and 4) assertion that strength exercises help improve spasticity. CONCLUSIONS: Empirical identification of these conceptions among undergraduate nursing students, together with agreed definitions of learning outcomes, in the subject of stroke care delivery will allow educators to design evidence-based teaching-learning strategies.

Nursing students' alternative beliefs regarding care for patients suffering from depression.

Depression is an illness that constitutes a major challenge for Public Health worldwide. Therefore, there is a clear need to receive training to care for this type of patient. This study sets out to identify alternative non-scientific beliefs among nursing students regarding the topic of depression after studying the module of Psychopathology. This study enrolled 102 third year undergraduate nursing students. The students resolved a case on an individual basis in written form which was analysed qualitatively. In this study, we have found that, despite having undergone information-transfer educational training in relation to the physiopathology of depression, nursing students persist in holding unscientific beliefs about this condition. On the basis that the opinions of nurses about depression can influence the care of their future patients, it is important to consider these alternative beliefs as learning difficulties in order to design an effective teaching instruction.

Effect of a PBL teaching method on learning about nursing care for patients with depression.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a worldwide public health problem that requires the attention of qualified health professionals. The training of skilled nurses is a challenge for nursing instructors due to the complexity of this pathology. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to analyse the declarative and argumentative knowledge acquired about depression by students receiving traditional expository instruction versus students receiving problem-based learning instruction. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design in experimental and control group to measure differences in the improvement of declarative and argumentative knowledge. Non parametric tests were used to compare the scores between the experimental group and the control group, and between the pre-test and post-test in each group. 114 students participated in the study. Implementation of the study took place during the 2014-2015 academic year in the third year of the Nursing undergraduate degree courses in the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) as part of the Mental Health Nursing subject. RESULTS: The data indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the two methodologies in regard to declarative knowledge in the care of patients with depression. Nevertheless, the argumentative capacity of the experimental group improved significantly with the problem-based learning methodology (p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the implementation indicated that problem-based learning was a satisfactory tool for the acquisition of argumentative capacity in depression nursing care. Still, working examples of teaching sequences that bridge the gap between general clinical practice and classroom practice remain an important goal for continuing research in nursing education.

La enseñanza de competencias para cuidar de pacientes con síndrome confusional agudo a través del Método del Caso en enfermería / Teaching skills to care for patients with acute confusional syndrome through the Case Method in Nursing

Introducción: El síndrome confusional agudo o delírium es una complicación frecuente en la población de edad avanzada hospitalizada, y de acuerdo con la literatura científica representa un claro desafío para la enfermera geriátrica. Objetivo: Este trabajo desarrolla una estrategia de mejora del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del paciente con delírium basada en el Método del Caso. Método: La implementación tuvo lugar el año 2013 en la Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Leioa, de la Universidad del País Vasco. En la implementación del caso participó el 100% del alumnado matriculado (n = 71) en la asignatura Enfermería Geriátrica, impartida en el 2.º curso, 2.º cuatrimestre del Grado en Enfermería. Resultados: Los resultados indican que a pesar de que el Método del Caso requiere de una mayor planificación que las clases expositivas y una nueva forma de pensar acerca de la práctica docente, los resultados obtenidos son satisfactorios (el 94,3% ha adquirido, al menos, las competencias mínimas exigidas). Conclusiones: El Método del Caso proporciona una oportunidad de aprender las habilidades necesarias para valorar e intervenir en los pacientes con síndrome confusional agudo, respondiendo además a una nueva forma de pensar acerca de enseñar y mejorar la calidad de la práctica docente. Asimismo, este trabajo tiende un puente entre la práctica clínica general y la práctica en el aula, lo que constituye un objetivo importante para la investigación en la educación en enfermería

Introduction: Clinical practice as well as scientific literature have shown that handling older patients with delirium or acute confusional syndrome marks a remarkable challenge to the geriatric nurse. Aim: This paper describes the implementation of a Case Method based teaching and learning strategy for acute confusional syndrome care. Method: Data were collected during 2013 at the nursing school of Leioa, University of the Basque Country. All students enrolled on a Geriatric Nursing Course, during the 2nd year 2nd semester of a Nursing Degree Programme, participated in the implementation (n = 71). Results: The results have shown that even though the Case Method requires greatest planning needs in comparison with traditional teaching and involves a new way of thinking about the teaching practice, the results are satisfactory (94.3% have acquired, at least, the minimum required competencies). Conclusions: The Case Method enables students to learn the required abilities to assess and care patients with acute confusional syndrome. In addition, answers the demands of a new way of understanding the teaching role and the quality of education. Likewise, this work helps to close the theory practice gap, representing an important aim in the nursing education practice and research