Collaborating With Rural Practice Partners to Provide a Primary Care Experience for Prelicensure Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Prelicensure nursing education has generally emphasized acute care; however, as primary care changes in the United States, academia must transform. The national call for transforming primary care requires innovation in the education of prelicensure nursing students. PROBLEM: To ensure future RNs can function in the primary care setting and assume enhanced roles within the interprofessional team, prelicensure nursing students need to be exposed to primary care. A key barrier to providing this essential education is the lack of partnerships with primary care facilities. APPROACH: The purpose of this project was to collaborate with rural practice partners to provide a primary care clinical experience for prelicensure nursing students. OUTCOMES: Collaboration between academic-practice partners to develop a clinical experience for prelicensure nursing students allowed exposure to the role of RNs in rural primary care. CONCLUSIONS: By sharing the process for planning the clinical experience, other interested academic institutions may replicate similar opportunities.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment by Emergency Nurses: A Review of the Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency nurses could assume a unique role in the screening process and provide patient education regarding the consequences of harmful alcohol use. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment is an evidence-based method used to identify drinking behaviors that may have a negative impact on people's lives and reduce abuse or dependence on alcohol. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate both the effectiveness as well as the feasibility of nurse implementation of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in the ED setting. RESULTS: The use of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in the emergency department following nurse implementation resulted in a decrease in the drinking behaviors that may have negative effects. Emergency nurses were able to implement screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment effectively, although some challenges occurred, such as nurse buy-in and limited funding support. DISCUSSION: The emergency department is an integral location for the implementation of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment because it can decrease injuries and readmissions due to the use of alcohol. Nurses play a key role in implementation because of their unique relationship with their patients. This review of the literature indicated that screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment can be effective in the emergency department and successfully implemented by emergency nurses.

Using Simulation to Improve Student and Faculty Knowledge of Telehealth and Rural Characteristics.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of senior baccalaureate nursing students and faculty members regarding telehealth and rural nursing concepts before and after participation in a newly developed simulation, which incorporated telehealth use in a rural home environment. Statistically significant increases in knowledge were found in both faculty and students following participation in the simulation. The results of this research indicate the need to increase student and faculty knowledge about telehealth and rural nursing concepts.

Nursing Student Perceptions of Digital Textbooks: A Pilot Study.

Digital textbooks are increasing in popularity, often resulting from the perception that students demand the use of technology in academics. However, few studies have been done on student perceptions of digital textbooks. A pilot study was conducted with students enrolled in a nursing research course; 123 nursing students participated. This study found that students overwhelmingly preferred print textbooks over digital textbooks. More research needs to be done before assuming students would prefer digital textbooks over print.

Empathy Development Through Case Study and Simulation.

Because empathy is integral to the nurse-patient relationship, nurse educators are challenged to explore teaching strategies that may aid in the development of empathy among students. The purpose of this study was to determine whether consistent exposure to a single patient through case study and simulation had an impact on empathy levels in senior-level baccalaureate nursing students. Results provide interesting conclusions for faculty members and offer a basis for ongoing discussion.

Student Perceptions of Quality and Safety Competencies.

AIM/PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate senior students' level of preparedness to perform and perceived importance of 22 QSEN-related skills over a three year project period. BACKGROUND: The national Quality and Safety Education in Nursing (QSEN) project promotes student learning in the provision of safe, quality health care. One Midwestern nursing program attempted to address health care challenges by purposefully utilizing the QSEN competencies for curricular changes. METHODS: This study collected data from students in their final semester of a baccalaureate program using the QSEN Student Evaluation Survey. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Students reported they were somewhat prepared to perform skills related to all six QSEN competencies. Students perceived all QSEN related skills as being as least somewhat important. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of this study, the nursing program identified areas to be developed for further growth and utilized findings to aid in curriculum revision.

Time to adjust: team-based learning 2 years later.

Following the transition from traditional lecture to team-based learning in a community health nursing course, several changes were implemented over a 2-year period in an effort to improve the student and faculty experience. This article describes the changes that occurred and reports data collected from the first cohort of students following initial implementation and from a second cohort of students 2 years later.

Using a first-year seminar to introduce nursing.

First-year seminar courses designed to aid the transition of freshmen students to the collegiate experience are commonplace requirements at many 4-year institutions. The authors describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of a first-year seminar course with introductory nursing content.

Student engagement and examination performance in a team-based learning course.

With calls for innovation in nursing education from national bodies of nursing, nurse educators must determine the best teaching strategies to meet educational standards. Team-based learning (TBL), an innovative teaching strategy, offers educators a structured, student-centered learning environment. The purpose of this study was to compare TBL and traditional lecture (a commonly used teaching method) in regard to student engagement and performance on examinations. In addition, the relationship between student engagement and examination scores was examined. Findings showed significant differences in student engagement (p < 0.001). Analysis of examination scores indicated a significant effect within participants (p < 0.001). Mixed findings were found regarding the relationship between student engagement and examination scores. This research contributes to the body of knowledge related to TBL and suggests this teaching strategy is, at minimum, equally as effective as traditional lecture.

Development and psychometric testing of the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument.

Team-based learning, an innovative teaching strategy, may be useful in meeting the demands of nursing education. However, educators may be hesitant to adopt this teaching strategy because of the lack of available research. The author discusses a study to determine whether a newly developed instrument, the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument, accurately measures the 3 subscales of accountability, preference for lecture or team-based learning, and student satisfaction. Results suggest the instrument is valid and reliable and may be a valuable tool in assessing the effectiveness of team-based learning.

A model for easily incorporating team-based learning into nursing education.

A sense of urgency exists among nurse educators to determine the best possible teaching strategies to create a rich, engaging learning environment for students. With the calls for transformation, innovation, and excellence in nursing education from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the National League for Nursing, educators may determine that current teaching strategies fall short. Team-based learning, an innovative teaching strategy, offers educators a structured, student-centered learning environment and may be effective in teaching necessary skills to students. An overview of how this strategy fosters many of the essential concepts, such as critical thinking, professionalism, communication, and interprofessional teamwork, is presented. Additionally, this article offers a clearly delineated "recipe" for implementing team-based learning in the classroom. This innovative strategy has the potential to transform nursing education and provide a positive teaching and learning environment for both educators and students.

Faculty concerns about requiring laptops in the classroom.

Although the use of laptops in the classroom is not a new idea, very few colleges of nursing require students to purchase and use them in the classroom. The authors report on a survey of faculty experiences and concerns related to the required use of laptops in the classroom.