Being effective and supervising for thesis success in nursing coursework master degrees: A qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Master's degrees for nurses have various foci including clinical practice, leadership and education, with some programs consisting of coursework, while others offer hybrid study that combines coursework and research. Multiple formats are associated with offering the research component. The research component is often termed the minor thesis. Limited knowledge exists regarding the supervision of the research component. AIM(S): To capture the practices and perspectives of experienced nurse academics regarding effective supervision of the masters-level minor thesis in nursing coursework master degrees. THE STUDY: Design Qualitative descriptive. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 28 experienced nurse academics recruited from 15 Australian and three New Zealand universities linked to the Council of Deans in Australia and New Zealand. Inclusion criteria were having experience of supervising masters-level minor theses and higher degrees. Interviews were face-to-face using the internet platform Zoom©. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Findings The analysis revealed three themes and associated sub-themes: (i) establishing the framework (setting up the student's research; building the student-supervisor relationship; setting clear expectations), (ii) supervisors' knowledge and actions: driving for success (supervisors' knowledge for a satisfactory and timely outcome; supervisors' actions to develop students' capabilities; supervisors' actions of drawing in other expertise) and (iii) supervisor savviness: Attending to the finer points of supervision for student success (using your attributes as a supervisor; being savvy to teach and engage students; creatively seeking a smooth process for student success). CONCLUSION: The findings highlight three themes crucial to effective supervision of masters-level minor theses in nursing: Establishing a strong research framework, emphasizing supervisors' knowledge and proactive engagement and attending to nuanced aspects of supervision for student success. These insights contribute to deeper understanding of the multifaceted nature of supervising minor theses, providing a valuable foundation for refining supervisory practices and enhancing the educational experience within coursework nursing master degree programs. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The findings highlight the supervisors' pivotal practices in guiding students through the minor thesis. These insights will be useful for inexperienced and experienced supervisors and for degree program directors. The findings should inform supervision training and supervision practices in the future. IMPACT: The study addressed a gap in knowledge about what experienced supervisors do to be effective and achieve success in the research component in a hybrid master degree for registered nurses. Effective supervision for student success in the minor thesis requires supervisors to establish and maintain a project and supervisory framework with appropriate boundaries and that is attuned to both the supervisor and student capabilities and preferences. Supervisors have an active role in directing the focus, scale and scope of a minor theses in keeping with university requirements and the short timeframe. Supervisors pay attention to the development of multiple student literacies (research, academic, professional, feedback and cultural) as core aspects of the masters research journey. Supervisors use their savviness and customize supervision to student contexts and capabilities as they guide development to achieve student success. The research findings have implications for targeted supervisor training and enhancing educational strategies for research supervision of minor thesis students. REPORTING METHOD: COREQ reporting was adhered to as the relevant EQUATOR guideline. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

How is clinical credibility defined in nursing? A concept mapping study.

AIM: To develop a working definition of 'clinical credibility' in nursing science. METHODS: This is stage 2 of a registered report. Concept mapping methodology, 1. Preparation, 2. Generation of statements (brainstorming), 3. Structuring of statements (prioritising/clustering), 4. Representation of statements, 5. Interpretation of maps and 6. Utilisation of maps were used. Part 1 of our registered report followed the required items on the SPIRIT 2013 checklist. Part 2 was reporting the results of our study adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines. RESULTS: Participants (n = 67) from three stakeholder groups participated in this study. Nursing students (n = 23), nurses and other healthcare professionals (n = 23), and patients (within the last 12 months) (n = 21). Participants (n = 62) generated statements (n = 429) in response to the question: 'What does clinical credibility mean to you?'. Following statement reduction, participants (n = 61) prioritised and clustered (n = 80) statements. The data were analysed using the concept mapping software, Ariadne. A visual 'concept map' was produced showing the importance and relationship of each statement as viewed by all participants. The final concept map had nine clusters. In order of importance these are as follows: 1. Safe practice, 2. Communication, 3. Patient-centred care, 4. Accountable, 5. Professional practice, 6. Clinical competence, 7. Teaching attributes, 8. Contemporary expert and 9. Leadership. This study was undertaken over an eight-month period. CONCLUSION: Clinical credibility is not necessarily about contemporary clinical practice. It is a multidimensional construct of which current clinical practice is one element.

How is clinical credibility defined in nursing? Protocol for a concept mapping study.

AIM: To develop a working definition of the concept of "clinical credibility" in nursing science. BACKGROUND: In both academic and clinical settings, the phrase "clinical credibility" is used when discussing the education of health professionals. No clear definition for the concept is evident in the academic literature. To date, there has not been a study undertaken to develop a working definition of clinical credibility in nursing science. METHODS: This protocol is stage 1 of a registered report. We will use concept mapping to compare and organise views of three stakeholder groups: nursing students (n = 20) from years 2 or 3 of a three-year Bachelor of Nursing Programme, nurses and other health professionals (n = 20) still practising within a clinical setting, and people who have recently been inpatients in hospital (n = 20). First, participants will take part in separate stakeholder focus groups to generate statements about "What is clinical credibility?". Second, the same participants will complete two tasks: (1) rank the importance of each statement (prioritising) and (2) put the statements that appear to go together into groups (clustering). The data will then be analysed using a specialised software program called Ariadne. A visual "concept map" will be produced showing the importance and relationship of each statement as viewed by the participants. The projected timeline for the study is one year. The paper complies with the SPIRIT 2013 guidelines for study protocols adapted for mixed methods research. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide a working definition of the concept of "clinical credibility" in nursing science. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings can be used to develop a measure of clinical credibility to predict student satisfaction and patient safety outcomes.

Missed nursing care among nursing students: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students report facing inconsistencies between theoretical knowledge and actualities of clinical practice, and research indicates they witness missed nursing care during clinical practice. Understanding nursing students' experiences can inform improved clinical learning environments and enhance patient care quality. Recently, research has focused on students' views regarding missed care, yet comprehensive understandings of this phenomenon are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This review explored what is known about missed nursing care from perspectives of nursing students. DESIGN: A scoping review according to Arksey and O'Malley's framework and Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was undertaken. DATA SOURCES: Key databases were searched, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest, PsycINFO and Web of Science in August 2023. REVIEW METHODS: The review included qualitative, quantitative, and structured literature reviews published in English between 2006 and 2023. Inclusion and exclusion criteria and keywords guided the search. Data screening and extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. Included studies were analysed using descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis. Findings are reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR. RESULTS: Of the 5873 articles identified, nine were included in the review. Studies were conducted in seven countries. Themes in students' perceptions included negligence of patients' rights and dignity, living in limbo, and pragmatic acceptance. Reasons for missed care included ineffective teamwork, lack of interest in caring, and inefficient leadership. Missed nursing care adversely affected patient health, hindered student learning and professional growth. Strategies for improvement included enhancing teamwork, enforcing ethical issues, increasing supervision, and creating commitment to work. CONCLUSION: Missed nursing care affects patient safety and education of nursing students. Incorporating practical training modules into curricula, establishing preceptorship programs, and incorporating ethics education into clinical practice are crucial to address missed nursing care. Further research in diverse settings is warranted.

What Are the Core Competencies of a Mental Health Nurse? Protocol for a Concept Mapping Study.

This study aims to identify and contrast key stakeholder perspectives about the core competencies of mental health nurses. Mental health nurses provide much of the direct care and treatment to patients with mental disorders. The perspectives of users of mental health services, mental health nurses, mental health nurse clinical leaders, psychiatrists, and mental health nurse academics regarding the core competencies of a mental health nurse are informative to improve the quality of care given to patients. We will use concept mapping to compare and contrast the views of different stakeholder groups (n = 50, 10 per group) about the core competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) of mental health nurses. There are six stages in concept mapping: preparation, generation of statements, structuring of statements, representation of statements, interpretation of maps, and utilisation of maps. The Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklist will guide this study. The final output is a "concept map" that can be used and interpreted to understand core mental health nursing competencies. This study will provide insight into the perceived core competencies of mental health nurses from a variety of perspectives.