Systematic Review: Bridging the Gap in RPN-to-RN Transitions.

PURPOSE: To review the evidence examining the influences of successful education and professional role transition for registered practical nurses (RPNs) pursuing a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BScN) and registered nurse (RN) licensure through RPN-to-RN bridging programs. DESIGN: Systematic review of papers published between 1995 and 2014 that evaluated students' education and professional role transitions from RPN to RN. METHODS: Thirty-nine papers were selected that observed or studied the change or transition in designation from RPN to RN, or its equivalent, through bridging programs and analyzed thematically according to Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Hilfinger Messias, and Schumacher's transition model. FINDINGS: Personal, community, and social conditions related to preparation for entry, program enrolment, and postgraduate clinical integration influence successful education and professional role transitions for RPN-to-RN bridging students. CONCLUSIONS: Providing key transition supports may enhance the potential for successful student transition into and throughout a bridging program, but further research is necessary to enhance this understanding and to recommend best practices for optimizing students' success. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The evidence from this review identifies facilitators and barriers to successful education and professional role transition for RPN-to-RN bridging students, and identifies important considerations for future research.

A narrative study of the experiences of student nurses who have participated in the Hearing Voices that are Distressing simulation.

The aim of this study was to provide nursing students with an experiential learning opportunity which simulated living with the challenge of voice hearing. The purpose was to access understanding and insights of nursing students who completed "Hearing Voices that are Distressing: A Training Experience and Simulation for Students" (Deegan, 1996). Using a narrative research design and a convenience sample of 27 nursing students, participants were asked to respond in written format to three open ended prompts immediately following their participation in the simulation. Data generated was subjected to a thematic content analysis using a manual cut and paste approach to inductively find meanings and insights elicited from the respondents' actual words. Affirmed in this study was the use of this teaching tool to assist the students in their understanding of the challenges posed by voice hearing.