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Background: Information and communication technologies have become omnipresent in healthcare systems globally, and since nurses comprise the majority of the health sector workforce, they are expected to be adequately skilled to work in a technology‐mediated environment. Integrating nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education is a cornerstone to nursing education and practice in Africa. Aim: This scoping review aimed to evidence the integration of nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education in Africa. Methods: A scoping review of the literature used electronic databases including CINAHL Plus databases; EmCare; MEDLINE Ovid; Scopus; ERIC ProQuest; Web of Science; Google; and Google Scholar to locate papers specific to the African context. From a total of 8723 articles, 19 were selected for critique and synthesis. Results: Selected studies indicated that nursing students used several information and communication technologies tools primarily for academic purposes, and rarely for clinical practice. In Africa, the challenges for teaching informatics in nursing education included: limited information and communication technologies skills among faculty and students; poor teaching strategies; and a lack of standardization of nursing informatics competencies. Successful integration of nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing education in African countries depends on restructuring nursing informatics content and teaching strategies, capacity building of the faculty and students in information and communication technologies, political commitment, and collaborative partnership. Conclusion: Nursing informatics is scarce in undergraduate nursing education in Africa due to the implementation and adoption challenges. Responding to these challenges requires a multi‐sectoral approach in the revision of undergraduate nursing curricula. Implication for nursing education, practice, policy and research: This study highlights the importance of nursing informatics in undergraduate nursing education, with its challenges and success. Nursing education policies should support the development of well‐standardized nursing informatics content and appropriate teaching strategies to deliver it. Further research is needed to establish which aspects of nursing informatics are integrated into undergraduate nursing education and nursing practice, implementation process, challenges and possible solutions. Collaborative partnerships are vital to developing nursing informatics policies to better prepare graduate nurses for the African healthcare workforce in the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As future health educators, nursing and physiotherapy students will play an essential role in the prevention of smoking. Aim To determine the prevalence of smoking among students and to analyse their knowledge of and attitudes towards smoking. Method This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire and conducted in a Spanish Faculty of Health Sciences in 2013. Findings 247 nursing and physiotherapy students (82.33%) participated in the study. The global prevalence of smoking (18.2%) was lower compare with the general population group of the same age. We have observed statistical significance in relation to previous studies. Nursing and physiotherapy students showed a low nicotine dependence. We found a lack of knowledge about the harmful effects of cigarette consumption on health. Statistically significant results were also found in relation to degree courses (p < 0.01) as regards students' opinions about their knowledge of strategies and methods to help patients stop smoking. Conclusion Most students started smoking before commencing their university studies; consequently, interventions should focus on cessation programmes. An analysis of university curricula leading to the award of a degree in the health sciences could serve to identify educational deficiencies in order to implement the necessary modifications. Implications for nursing and health policy This paper presents an update in tobacco use characteristics amongst nursing and physiotherapy students. Those results have showed a need to improve the curricula in order to develop specific programmes to improve knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. Measures to prevent smoking must be taken at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To summarize the findings from literature regarding the prevalence of plagiarism and its various types, knowledge, and attitudes of students toward plagiarism, factors associated with plagiarism, and the applied interventions to decrease the incidence of plagiarism. Background: Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty practiced by students at all educational levels. Introduction: Academic dishonesty was defined as any unauthorized help that adds to students' formal academic performance. These dishonest behaviors can be categorized as falsifying information, hiding errors, collaborating with colleagues when not allowed, and plagiarism. Methods: Systematic search of databases was conducted in September 2021 to identify studies that discussed plagiarism in nursing studies. We included 31 studies in this systematic review and meta‐analysis, with a total of 9,175 nursing students. The analysis was conducted using RevMan software. Results: Plagiarism was the most frequent academic misconduct among nursing students (practiced by 55.3%). Paraphrasing without referencing was the most practiced form (39.53%), while submitting others' work without acknowledgment was the least one (9.61%). Most students were aware of the concept of plagiarism (80.8%) and had positive ethical attitudes toward it (88.26%). Plagiarism was negatively associated with age, parenting, and completing semester credits. However, it was positively correlated with average grades and liberal educators. Plagiarism was a significant predictor of clinical misconduct. Discussion: A gap in the students' knowledge and skills were noticed. These gaps may be contributing to the high occurrence of plagiaristic acts, besides the unethical attitudes. Conclusion: Plagiarism is a serious academic misconduct practice that can be associated with subsequent clinical misconduct. There is a need to fill the knowledge and skills gap, and to set effective policies. Implication for nursing and health policy: In their attempts to eliminate plagiarism, nurse educators are encouraged to provide effective educational training and practical tasks, in order to fill the gaps in knowledge and skills. Additionally, implementing clear and effective punishment policies would prevent intentional plagiaristic acts. This would aid in introducing qualified nurses accountable for the health of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To discuss the virtual learning strategies used in population health nursing course during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Background: The School of Nursing faculty in a South Central University in the United States quickly combined innovation with digital resources and transitioned a course in population health during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Nursing faculty were challenged to develop student nursing objectives in assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation of vulnerable populations in the community through a virtual environment. Reflections of population health nursing clinical education: The experiences of five clinical groups are described, covering adults with disabilities, older people, patients with COVID‐19 and youth populations. Discussion: The course objectives were met through use of a digital environment. Collaborative interventions were designed and implemented with community stakeholders while maintaining social distancing policies. Successes included increased frequency of communication and learning opportunities for students and the community, and student satisfaction. Barriers to student learning were not related to the digital learning environment, although the older adults required modifications to use electronic devices. Conclusion: Virtual classrooms are a viable platform to teach population health nursing and to benefit vulnerable populations. Implications for nursing practice: Virtual learning offers benefits within academia and the community. Technology offers the possibility to improve mental health among older people and enhance knowledge among the general population. Students are better able to connect with clinical faculty and stakeholders through digital platforms. Implications for nursing policy: Nurses play a vital role in improving population health and can collaborate with community stakeholders to implement innovative and sustainable solutions to nursing education, practices and policy. Digital platforms can enhance the involvement of students through these collaborations during and after the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HARROWING J.N., GREGORY D.M., O'SULLIVAN P.S., LEE B. & DOOLITTLE L. (2012) A critical analysis of undergraduate students' cultural immersion experiences. International Nursing Review Purpose: This paper is concerned with the impact of an international health promotion experience on the understanding of culture among university students. Such immersion experiences are often cited as a strategy to prepare nurses for culturally appropriate practice. We describe students' epistemic movements over time with respect to cultural perspectives prior to, during and after a field study in Malawi. Design: Data were collected at three time points from students in undergraduate nursing ( n = 14) and non-nursing ( n = 8) programs at a Canadian university. Two essays narrating participants' understanding of culture were submitted by consenting class members. A subgroup of nine participants (four nursing students, five from other disciplines) completed a third narrative following a subsequent field study course in Malawi. Method: Using narrative analysis, themes and structures in the participants' writing were identified and located within a constructivist or essentialist paradigm of cultural understanding. Findings: Overwhelmingly, students' narratives were initially portrayed and informed by an essentialist understanding of culture. Later narratives demonstrated varying degrees of epistemic movement towards more constructivist viewpoints. Narratives that initially exhibited constructivist characteristics tended to display strengthened convictions in that paradigm. Conclusion: We challenge the claim that an international immersion experience immediately transforms participants into cultural experts; our evidence suggests that students experienced existential growth, but their understanding of culture did not change as a result of their brief stay in a different cultural context. Cultural immersion is a phenomenon that requires more critical analysis and systematic investigation to determine how such experiences contribute to learning about culture among nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IOANNIDOU C., GALANIS P., TSOUMAKAS K. & PAVLOPOULOU I.D. (2012) Characteristics of dog bites among nursing students and knowledge about their emergency management. International Nursing Review 59, 245-251 Background: Dog bites represent a significant health concern leading to a variety of consequences. Nursing students should be appropriately educated in order to manage and help prevent such injuries. Aim: This paper is the first to report the lifetime experience and characteristics of dog bites among Greek nursing students and their knowledge in managing the above injuries. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was performed using an anonymous questionnaire distributed to first and fourth year nursing students from April though June 2009. A knowledge score based on key questions was set on a scale from 0 to 7, to assess their competence on bite injuries management. Results: Of 237 nursing students recruited, 56 (23.6%) had experienced a dog bite. Men outnumbered women as dog bite victims [ n = 15 (39.5%) vs. n = 41 (20.6%), P = 0.012]. Mean age at the attack was 11.1 (standard deviation = 5.6) years and legs sustained the majority of injuries ( n = 31; 55.4%). Most bites ( n = 39; 69.9%) involved a dog known to the victim, were provoked ( n = 30; 53.6%) and occurred in a public place ( n = 35; 62.5%). Ten (17.9%) of the victims sustained a moderate or severe injury. The majority (67.9%) of students answered correctly to less than or equal to three out of seven key knowledge questions. After multiple linear regression analysis, previous educational course attendance was the only factor associated with increased score (b = 0.48, standard deviation = 0.17, 95% confidence interval = 0.12-0.84, P = 0.009). Conclusions: Dog bites were common and presented characteristic patterns among nursing students, but knowledge in their management was suboptimal. Improved education should be provided during undergraduate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the relationship between knowledge, attitude and the practice of hand hygiene by nursing and midwifery students in Cambodia. Background: Hand hygiene is the most cost‐effective means to prevent hospital‐acquired infections. Techniques of hand hygiene are simple; however, many researchers have found hand hygiene knowledge, attitude and practice to be poor in many healthcare settings worldwide, especially in developing countries. Cambodia is a developing country in Southeast Asia and data regarding hand hygiene are limited. Methods: A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of hand hygiene. Students in nursing and midwifery programmes were the target population (n = 300). Survey data were collected from January to May 2017. Descriptive statistics, t‐tests and correlation coefficients were calculated to assess relationships between student knowledge, attitude and hand hygiene practice. Result: The level of knowledge, attitude and practice of hand hygiene in nursing and midwifery students was moderate. A majority of students had received hand hygiene training. There was no significant difference between nursing and midwifery students in knowledge, attitude and practice of hand hygiene. However, a Pearson correlation of attitude and practice had a weak positive relationship. Conclusion: Both nursing and midwifery students demonstrated moderate levels of knowledge, attitudes and practice of hand hygiene. Implication for nursing and health policy: This study identified a need for hand hygiene training. Developing training programmes to improve attitudes about hand hygiene is strongly recommended. Effective training may contribute to change behaviours of hand hygiene (attitude), improve practice and ultimately reduce hospital‐acquired infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VAISMORADI M., SALSALI M. & MARCK P. (2011) Patient safety: nursing students' perspectives and the role of nursing education to provide safe care. International Nursing Review 58, 434-442 Background and Aim: Nurses as the largest group of healthcare providers are in the best position to improve patient safety. In preparing future nurses, nurse educators have an important role in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes among nursing students related to patient safety. The aim of this study was to explore Iranian nursing students' perspectives regarding patient safety and the role of nursing education in developing their capabilities to provide safe care. Methods: A purposeful sampling strategy was used to recruit 17 junior and senior nursing students for qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Content analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted to identify several relevant themes. Findings: Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: 'safety as patient comfort', 'not being knowledgeable or experienced enough' and 'being helped to internalise the principles and values of patient safety'. The third theme consisted of two categories: 'adopting a humanistic approach towards patients' and 'practising conscientiously in the workplace'. Conclusion: The present study adds insights on how nursing students understand and may be helped to internalise concepts of patient safety within their practice. Nursing education curriculum designers need to go beyond theoretical concepts of patient safety education and devise strategies to increase the application of safety knowledge and competencies in nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many student nurses undertake international clinical experience during their education programmes, which raises the question ‘How do these experiences impact on students nurses’ personal and professional development?’ A case study was conducted in one School of Nursing in the United Kingdom. Student nurses participating in a new module, International Nursing and Health Care, which included clinical experience overseas, gave qualitative accounts of their international experiences and subsequent learning. Their accounts were also compared with the perceptions and expectations of the module facilitators. While there were some similarities in student experience and facilitator expectations, there were also notable differences. The students believed that their international experiences had a deep impact on their personal development, helping them make the transition from student to qualified nurse. The case study raised further questions about the acquisition of cultural knowledge and the facilitation and provision of learning from experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the life of a nursing student. Introduction to nursing; Hospital life and work; Success and failure in qualifying to be a nurse.

Explores the evaluation of the clinical performance of nursing students at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales. Existence of problems inherent in the development of a valid, objective and time-efficient method; Expectation on the demonstration of competency by the students; Enhancement of student learning.