Developing PhD Nurse Scientists: Do Bachelor of Science in Nursing Honors Programs Help?

BACKGROUND: The critical need for more nurses with research doctoral degrees to replace vacancies among retiring nursing faculty and nurse administrators is identified. The Future of Nursing report recommends that the number of nurses with PhD degrees double by 2020. METHOD: Encouraging nursing students to begin doctoral education early in their careers is essential to meeting this goal now and in the future. One method to promote early enrollment into doctoral education is participation in a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) honors program. We describe the recruitment and application process, mentor selection, scholarly activities, and publication of final manuscripts for one such program. RESULTS: The success of one BSN honors program in enabling graduation with university honors and encouraging enrollment and graduation with doctoral degrees is described. CONCLUSIONS: The development of more BSN Honors programs and enhancement of activities of current programs are recommended. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(10):579-582.].

[Nursing training and changes of identity]. / Formation infirmière et changements identitaires.

Over the last three decades, several European countries have implemented reforms to their nursing training systems. In French-speaking Switzerland, this training has been offered, since 2002, at university level in higher education institutions (Swiss university of applied sciences), while it is also taught to a higher level in graduate schools (Ecoles Supérieures) in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland and, as of late, in just one French-speaking Swiss school. Some identity changes and tensions appear in the field for a number of reasons. The latter are also identified as being able to influence the professional development of nursing graduates of the Swiss university of applied sciences.

[A comparison on general education curriculum of 4-year and 3-year nursing schools in Korea].

PURPOSE: This study was done to comparatively analyze the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea. METHODS: Ten university 4-yr nursing schools were selected based on universities in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010 or "2009 Korea's Best Universities-Top 10" published by Joong-Ang Daily. Ten college 3-yr nursing schools were selected based on colleges in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010. RESULTS: 1) Generally 4-yr nursing schools maintained the relationships between organizational philosophy/purposes and subjects in the general education curriculum. But 3-yr nursing schools did not. 2) In 4-yr nursing schools there was a relatively higher credits ratio of general education curriculum and selective courses than in 3-yr nursing schools. 3) In 4-yr nursing schools variety of courses was relatively higher than 3-yr nursing schools. 4) In 4-yr nursing schools, operating conditions were relatively better (number of tenure professors, ratio of professors to students, Identification of exclusive organization in charge of the general education curriculum) for the general education curriculum than 3-yr nursing schools. CONCLUSION: The results identify significant differences in the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea, indicating that 3-yr nursing schools should make efforts to improve the good quality of general education curriculum.

The experiences of children's nursing students: learning urethral catheterisation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the factors which influence student nurses' ability to urethrally catheterize children in their care. This aimed to inform current pre-registration clinical skill training and education. METHODOLOGY: A mixed method study using focus groups and written questionnaires. RESULTS: The students identified that being able to competently carry out urethral catheterisation was influenced by a lack of exposure to the clinical skill and a need for specific paediatric focused training. Evaluation of current catheterisation training highlighted that, even after training, only a small proportion of the student nurses (24%, n=12) felt confident to catheterize children in practice. CONCLUSION: Student nurses infrequently witnessed paediatric urethral catheterisation in clinical placements which impacted on their ability to consolidate their learning and build competency in this clinical skill. Limited exposure to some clinical skills in practice, may mean that student nurses' education should focus on skills they are more likely to witness in order to optimise their learning opportunities.

The role of the nurse lecturer in clinical practice in the Republic of Ireland.

Undergraduate nurse education in Ireland transferred into the third level sector in 2002. As a result nurse lecturers are expected to develop a model of clinical practice that enables them to be involved in practice and its development while maintaining their own nursing expertise and credibility [An Bord Altranais, 2005. Requirements and Standards for Nurse Registration Education Programmes, third ed. An Bord Altranais, Dublin]. In light of this the researchers set out to explore the perceptions of the nurse lecturers' role in clinical practice among nurse lecturers, preceptors, clinical nurse managers, clinical placement co-ordinators and students. A qualitative research design using focus groups was chosen. A purposive sampling strategy generated the sample for 5 in-depth focus group interviews with the aforementioned key stakeholders and the data was thematically analysed. Five themes emerged which centred on the maintenance of lecturers' clinical credibility, the lecturers' role as a resource to clinical staff, teaching and assessing students in practice, the value of fostering relationships in practice and role duplication. The findings from this study supports the anecdotal evidence that confusion exists around the role but more importantly it gives the nurse lecturer population guidance on how to develop the role in partnership with the various stakeholders in a way that supports the nursing students and clinical staff in practice in an effective manner.

Expanding nurses' scope of practice.

On April 9, 2009, the government of British Columbia announced that it was expanding the scope of practice of registered nurses, midwives and naturopathic physicians in the province. From now on, RNs will be able to independently provide a broader range of health services including suturing, tuberculosis screening and managing labour in hospital when the primary care provider is absent. Registered nurses working triage will now be able to immediately order diagnostic ultrasounds and X-rays. Additionally, registered nurses will be able to dispense or administer prescription medications in urgent situations including severe allergic reaction, drug overdose, post-partum bleeding and for communicable disease prevention and management. (British Columbia 2009) It is important to point out that it is RNs, not nurse practitioners, who will have these additional capacities.

Nursing education--is it time to go back to the future?

This article attempts to project the future of nursing education by learning the lessons of the past. Since 1989, a constant discourse has evolved: pre-registration nurses are emerging from nursing education programmes without essential clinical skills. It is argued that, if the profession is to heed the lessons from the past, a focus on this constant discourse is inevitable. This is because, in the UK, nursing practice-based learning has long been valued and considered to be of equal importance to institution-based learning. The article thus draws on lessons that can be learnt from the evolution of models of nursing education over the past two decades. Having identified and outlined three models of nursing education, the article predicts the demise of pre-registration nursing and the development of practice-based assistant practitioner programmes and practice-based postgraduate nursing programmes owned and managed by primary care trusts and NHS foundation trusts.

A return to diploma-prepared registered nurses.

A quarter of a century ago, the nursing profession in Canada took a bold step: to establish baccalaureate preparation in nursing as the standard for practice as a registered nurse in Canada. Towards that end, hospital schools of nursing gave way to collaborative programs designed to help hospital and college diploma nursing students make the transition into baccalaureate nursing programs. It is thus paradoxical that, today, the nursing profession in Canada should do anything to jeopardize its goal to have RNs prepared at the baccalaureate level. The purpose of this paper is to focus Canadian nurse leaders' attention on that very possibility, given that some professional nursing organizations in Canada have conceptualized a future RN practice that could result in the emergence of a new kind of healthcare professional and a return to diploma preparation of RNs.