An Online COVID-19 Simulation to Explore Interprofessional Collaboration and Foster Systems Leadership Competencies in Doctor of Nursing Practice Students.

ABSTRACT: Organizational and systems leadership, a competency for doctor of nursing practice students, encompasses the evaluation of care delivery systems, accountable care of populations, and resolution of ethical dilemmas. Faculty created an online simulation in which students developed a management proposal for an impending pandemic. All students agreed or strongly agreed that the simulation increased their skills in systems-based thinking, increased their knowledge of others' roles and responsibilities in addressing health care crises, and enabled them to balance ethical considerations and societal interests. Online simulations are a feasible, cost-effective method to foster systems leadership competency and ethical decision-making in doctoral students.

Strategies to Reduce Bias and Racism in Nursing Precepted Clinical Experiences.

BACKGROUND: Nursing programs are tasked with ensuring diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) learning environments for all student learners. With calls to diversify the nursing workforce, engaging nursing preceptors in program-wide DEI initiatives are crucial. Preceptors lacking commitment to DEI could result in poor patient-preceptor communication, tense learning environments, or biased evaluations of students. METHOD: Suggestions for successful strategies to include the preceptor in nursing program's antiracism initiatives are based on the current literature. RESULTS: Best practices include providing antiracism training for preceptors, decreasing potential for bias in student evaluations, inquiring about observed racism in clinical sites, and equipping students to be upstanders for antiracism and DEI interventions. CONCLUSION: Dismantling racism and bias in nursing education requires a multilevel strategy. Nursing programs and nurse educators have a responsibility for ensuring a bias-free learning environment and should include the preceptor in antiracism strategic planning. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(12):697-702.].

Why don't all nurse practitioners precept? A comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Preceptors are integral in nurse practitioner (NP) education. A shortage of willing preceptors limits graduations from NP programs. However, little is known about why NPs decide not to precept. PURPOSE: To identify the factors significantly associated with NPs' status as currently, previously, or never precepting, using the Integrated Behavioral Model as the conceptual framework. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional, comparative, descriptive study of NPs using survey methodology. Our survey was based on published surveys with items added and adapted to reflect our framework. Subscales included personal factors, primary determinants of intent to precept, and external factors. We mailed recruitment postcards, with an online survey link, to all NPs in Arkansas. Data were analyzed using bivariate and stepwise multinomial logistic regression for each subscale. RESULTS: We obtained 261 responses. Participants who had previously and/or never precepted differed from current preceptors on multiple variables on bivariate analysis. Predictive personal factors included experience and hours worked per week. Predictive primary determinants included knowing NPs that precept, support for precepting, recognition of preceptors, and clinical expertise. Predictive external factors included space, liability, having a "gatekeeper," NP program, importance of precepting, and number of requests. CONCLUSIONS: Different factors predict NPs who currently, previously, and have never precepted. However, frequency of requests predicted both nonprecepting groups. Various supports in the clinical setting and program factors predicted one or other nonprecepting group. IMPLICATIONS: Strategies should be developed to ensure all potential preceptors are recruited, increase support for precepting, and ensure educational programs meet preceptors' needs.

Debate as a learning tool in an online environment.

Debate offers an opportunity to increase student interaction and develop critical thinking and presentation skills. The investigators used an online debate during a first-semester Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) course. The purpose of this evaluation was to 1) evaluate the feasibility of conducting a live-streamed debate and 2) assess students' perceived gained skills. Student pairs were assigned to speak for or against a statement applicable to professional practice of a DNP-prepared nurse approximately 4 weeks before the scheduled debates. During the debate, each pair presented opening arguments, formulated and presented a rebuttal, and provided closing statements. The faculty debriefed immediately after each debate, and all 15 students completed an online instrument evaluating perceived critical thinking and presentation skills after the debate. Completing the live-stream online debate was feasible. Students had statistically significant increases in skills of applying literature to support a position, defending a position, and predicting and countering opposing arguments, self-assurance in delivering a professional presentation, and establishing and persuading the listener with credibility. Skills not demonstrating statistical improvement included selecting, analyzing, and evaluating literature and composing a clear and well-organized oral presentation. Live-stream online debate was a feasible and effective learning tool for DNP students exploring professional issues. Debate should be evaluated with other content such as health policy, ethics, and clinical management.

An innovative technique to promote understanding of anatomy for nurse practitioner students.

ABSTRACT: Nurse practitioner (NP) students are required to have a clear understanding of the complexities of the human body. Students enter graduate studies with varying experiences and backgrounds in anatomy and physiology. Evidence suggests that human anatomy laboratories increase learning outcomes when compared with comparative anatomy modalities. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine if teaching with a computed tomography (CT)-based three-dimensional (3D) anatomy table and cadaveric specimens improves Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and NP students' understanding of anatomy in health assessment. Students participated in a hands-on anatomy review using a 3D anatomy table and human cadavers to master the five included body systems. Presurveys and postsurveys were administered to determine how much time had lapsed since our students' most recent anatomy class and the type of dissection laboratory provided within that class; to assess knowledge confidence in pediatric Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat (HEENT) anatomy; and to assess students' confidence in pediatric anatomical knowledge for all five body systems. Data were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney U test with independent samples. All areas with the exception of HEENT showed clinically significant improvement, including overall scores. Many positive themes were identified using qualitative thematic analysis. Teaching with a CT-based, 3D anatomy table with cadaveric specimens improved DNP and NP students' confidence levels in pediatric anatomy knowledge for all five systems. This innovative combination of human cadavers and virtual technology has the potential to produce advanced anatomical understanding for prospective health care professionals and to validate their capacity to conduct complex health assessments and procedures.

Integration of Service Learning Into a Doctoral-Level Qualitative Research Methodology Course.

This article provides an overview of the integration of a pilot service learning (SL) project in a doctoral-level qualitative research course. Faculty partnered with a nonprofit organization that prepares former foster youth for the challenges of adulthood. The project objectives were to (1) increase students' knowledge/skills in qualitative methods, research ethics, and cultural/social issues and (2) promote community collaboration. The outcomes demonstrate that the project was feasible, valuable, and aligned with the principles of SL.