Using social media to recruit research participants: a literature review.

BACKGROUND: It may be challenging for researchers to recruit enough participants to have a diverse and representative sample for their studies. Usual recruitment methods that were historically effective can be difficult to use because of high costs, time constraints and geographical limitations. Social media is a low-cost, time-saving alternative. AIM: To summarise the benefits and challenges of using social media for recruitment. DISCUSSION: This article provides an overview of social media. It considers the advantages of social media for recruitment, including its cost-effectiveness, accessibility, speed and potential exposure for researchers. It also discusses the challenges of using social media for recruitment, including ethical ambiguity, homogenous sampling and questionable validity of information gathered. CONCLUSION: Using social media for research saves time and reduces costs, increasing access to hard-to-reach populations and the reach of recruitment efforts. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Options for researchers wishing to use social media for study recruitment are outlined, as are strategies for managing some of the challenges involved in this recruitment method.

A taxonomy of risk-associated alternative health practices: A Delphi study.

Defining alternative health care and the recording of associated adverse events and harm remains problematic. This Canadian study aimed to establish and classify risk-associated alternative health practices in a Delphi study undertaken with an interdisciplinary panel of 17 health experts in 2020. It provides a new functional definition of alternative health care and an initial taxonomy of risk-associated alternative health care practices. A number of risk-associated practices were identified and categorized into general practices that conflict with biomedical care or largely untested therapies, alternative beliefs systems, physical manipulative alternative therapies, and herbal and nutritional supplements. Some risk significant harms including major physical injuries or even death. The lack of systematic methods for recording adverse events in alternative health care makes establishing the frequency of such events challenging. However, it is important that people engaging with alternative health care understand they are not necessarily risk-free endeavours, and what those risks are.

Peripheral Venipuncture Education Strategies for Nursing Students: An Integrative Literature Review.

This integrative literature review identified strategies to teach peripheral venipuncture to nursing students. The following databases were searched for primary studies: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), PubMed, Web of Science, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), SCOPUS, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). The final sample was composed of 24 studies. The literature ranged from descriptive studies to controlled clinical trials and methodologic studies to construct products/instruments for teaching peripheral venipuncture. The most frequently identified teaching strategies were theoretical contents taught via theoretical lecture, e-learning courses, video lessons, and demonstration by specialists combined with practical exercises using a mannequin, human arms, and/or haptic devices. Despite the different methods used currently, the best patient outcomes were achieved when the student received the theoretical content in an educational setting before the practical training on a mannequin and/or a virtual simulator.

Gaze Performance Adjustment During Needlestick Application: Can We Reduce Harm?

BACKGROUND: Novice health care students suffer more needlestick injuries (NSIs) than experts. NSIs may be prevented by learning experts' behavior during this procedure. Eye tracking offers the possibility to study both experts' and novices' eye behavior during this task. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to offer novel information about the understanding of eye behavior in human errors during handling needles. METHODS: A group of third-year nursing students performed 3 subcutaneous injections in a simulated abdominal pad while their eye behavior was recorded. Similarly, the gaze patterns of experts were recorded and then compared with the novices. RESULTS: Total task time for experts was faster than that for novices (P < .001), but both groups showed similar accuracy (P = .959). However, novices demonstrated gazing longer at the syringe rather than the abdominal pad compared with experts (P = .009). Finally, experts demonstrated fewer attention switches than novices (P = .002). CONCLUSION: Novices demonstrated more tool-tracking eye behaviors with longer dwelling time and attentional switches than did experts, which may translate into errors in clinical performance with needles.

The State of Knowledge Regarding the Use of Simulation in Pre-Licensure Nursing Education: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review.

This project is a mixed-methods systematic review on the use of simulation in pre-licensure nursing. This research question guided this review: What is the best evidence available upon which to base decisions regarding the use of simulation experiences with pre-licensure nursing students? Searches of CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and ERIC were performed to identify relevant literature. These searches yielded 1220 articles. After duplicates were removed and titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance to the inclusion criteria, the remaining 852 articles were independently assessed for quality by pairs of researchers. Forty-seven articles were retained. Findings were grouped into research using high-, medium-, and low-fidelity simulations and a group where researchers included several or all types of simulation. The conclusion is that insufficient quality research exists to guide educators in making evidence-based decisions regarding simulation. More rigorous and multi-site research is needed.

Introduction of unresponsive patient simulation scenarios into an undergraduate nursing health assessment course.

BACKGROUND: Despite certification in basic life support, nursing students may not be proficient in performing critical assessments and interventions for unresponsive patients. Thus, a new simulation module comprising four unresponsive patient scenarios was introduced into a second-year nursing health assessment course. METHOD: This cross-sectional study describes nursing student experience, knowledge, confidence, and performance of assessments and interventions for the unresponsive patient across 3 years of an undergraduate nursing program. RESULTS: Overall knowledge, confidence, and performance scores were similar between second-, third-, and fourth-year students (N = 239); however, performance times for many critical assessments and interventions were poor. Second-year nursing students' knowledge increased significantly following the new simulation module (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest a need for more repetition of basic unresponsive patient scenarios to provide mastery. It is anticipated that addition of unresponsive patient scenarios into the second year will enhance performance by the final year of the program.

Evaluating high-fidelity human simulators and standardized patients in an undergraduate nursing health assessment course.

BACKGROUND: An undergraduate nursing health assessment course provided three experiential modalities for practicing health assessment skills: high-fidelity human simulators (HFS), standardized patients (SP) and community volunteers (CV). Previous research has examined the impact of each distinct modality on learning outcomes. However, few studies have compared these learning strategies. This study investigates learners' satisfaction, self-efficacy and performance behaviors among three learning approaches. METHOD: Forty-four undergraduate nursing students were randomly assigned to perform focused respiratory assessments on a HFS, SP or CV. Participants completed the Health Assessment Educational Modality Evaluation (HAEME) survey to assess self-efficacy and modality satisfaction. A performance checklist evaluated assessment skills. RESULTS: Performance behaviors were significantly greater with HFS, but learners were significantly less satisfied with this modality. Significant differences in students' self-efficacy were not found across the three modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly lower satisfaction with HFS may reflect learners' perceived lack of realism. However, HFS may provide a low-stress opportunity for novice learners to practice skills. Results support the integration of distinct experiential learning modalities in an undergraduate nursing health assessment course.

Generational differences in acute care nurses.

UNLABELLED: Generational differences in values, expectations and perceptions of work have been proposed as one basis for problems and solutions in recruitment and retention of nurses. METHOD: This study used a descriptive design. A sample of 8207 registered nurses and registered practical nurses working in Ontario, Canada, acute care hospitals who responded to the Ontario Nurse Survey in 2003 were included in this study. Respondents were categorized as Baby Boomers, Generation X or Generation Y based on their birth year. Differences in responses among these three generations to questions about their own characteristics, employment circumstances, work environment and responses to the work environment were explored. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences among the generations. Baby Boomers primarily worked full-time day shifts. Gen Y tended to be employed in teaching hospitals; Boomers worked more commonly in community hospitals. Baby Boomers were generally more satisfied with their jobs than Gen X or Gen Y nurses. Gen Y had the largest proportion of nurses with high levels of burnout in the areas of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Baby Boomers had the largest proportion of nurses with low levels of burnout. CONCLUSION: Nurse managers may be able to capitalize on differences in generational values and needs in designing appropriate interventions to enhance recruitment and retention of nurses.