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AIM The aim of this research was to replicate Dreifuerst's 2012 findings of enhanced clinical reasoning scores using a structured debriefing: Debriefing for Meaningful Learning© (DML). BACKGROUND The direct effect of debriefing on clinical reasoning is not well studied. The nursing education literature supports debriefing as a reflective dialogue necessary to enhance clinical reasoning. METHOD A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, repeated measure research design was used to evaluate nursing students' clinical reasoning using the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT). RESULTS The change in HSRT mean scores was determined to be significant for the intervention group at the .05 level and insignificant for the control group. The change in HSRT mean scores between the intervention and control groups was determined to be significant at the .10 level. CONCLUSION Nursing students who had the DML debriefing scored significantly higher in their clinical reasoning than nursing students who had usual and customary debriefing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aim The study explored nurse educators' perceptions of the frequency (experience) of caring attributes in their current work environments and the attributes' importance (expectation) in an ideal work environment. background Caring has been linked to only a few components of nurse educators' work satisfaction. However, its influence may be much greater. method A multisite convenience sample (N = 241) completed an adapted version of the Nyberg Caring Assessment Scale©. Paired t-tests, correlations, and content analysis were used to explore experience-expectation gaps results Significant and substantive (p < .01, r > .50) experience-expectation gaps and correlations (p < .05) between demographic and work environment characteristics and caring attributes were found. Sources of and opportunities for caring attributes were identified. conclusion The findings suggest that feeling valued contributes to nurse educators' perceptions of a positive work environment and may inform recruitment and retention strategies. A model is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM This article reports findings from a National League for Nursing-funded research study that examined factors in the psychosocial work environment of academic program directors. BACKGROUND Vacant nursing academic leadership positions continue to rise and remain unfilled for extensive time periods. No recent study has looked at this issue from a national perspective. METHOD An exploratory, descriptive, correlational design with a convenience sample of academic administrators was obtained from NLNAC-accredited programs. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II was the primary instrument used in the study. RESULTS academic administrators (N = 242; response rate: 41.2 percent) validated concerns of increasing position turnover; 59 percent indicated that they were in their current positions for less than five years. Statistically significant correlations were found between job satisfaction, work/family life, role concerns, social support, and recognition. CONCLUSION Proactive interventions are needed to ensure manageable workloads for those in these essential positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Descriptive literature on use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in nursing education exists: but, quantitative outcome-driven studies of efficacy are lacking. Few studies have explored the integration of technologies like simulated clinical experiences (SCEs) with informatics competencies. Aim. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if nursing students' knowledge and attitude scores following a PDA-assisted SCE would be equivalent to textbook-assisted scores. Method. Using a convenience sample of first-semester baccalaureate students and an equivalence design, multiple lessons were learned about the use of PDAs in the context of SCE. Results/Conclusion. Learning was supported through use of PDAs in place of traditional text references: students viewed PDAs as beneficial resources in the provision of care: PDA use prompted reflection and triggered important need-learning connections; orientation to the use of PDAs promoted positive student attitudes; and use of PDAs helped meet nursing informatics curricular requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This research explores the experiences of cultural safety among nursing students from majority and minority groups in a divided society with implications for academic satisfaction and success. Background. The study takes place in an academic nursing program in Israel, where Arab and Jewish students study together. Methods. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used with 17 statements concerning social relations between students, faculty support, and the effects of social relations on academic satisfaction and outcomes. Results. Significant differences were found in the ways Arab and Jewish students perceived the cultural safety of the environment. Arab students perceived social relations and faculty attitude as less positive than Jewish students and perceived cultural safety as having greater influence on academic satisfaction and success. Conclusion. The findings indicate that students from different groups will perceive the same shared reality in significantly different ways. Nurse faculty and administrators need to make efforts to bring perceptions into closer alignment and to minimize the negative impact of external conflicts on feelings of cultural safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of this exploratory research was to examine the cultural competence of practicing nurses entering an RN to BSN program. Background. As nonwhite populations increase in the United States, the cultural competence of nurses increases in importance. With 38 percent of baccalaureate nursing students in RN-BSN programs, it is important to examine the cultural competence of this population. Method. Fifty-three RN-BSN students completed the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competency Among Healthcare Professionals-Revised (IAPCC-R) upon program entry; 50.9 percent were culturally competent as determined by the tool. Results. A strong correlation existed between IAPCC-R scores and student age, with students 20 to 30 years old scoring significantly higher than those in the age range of 41 to 50. Conclusion. The findings suggest and invite more extensive research on the success of the systematic nursing education initiatives of current associate degree programs and adherence to NLNAC standards for cultural competence, particularly in the cultural skill construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Using Kanter's theory of structural power, this study explored whether the degree of structural empowerment as perceived by nurse educators influences the degree of their innovative behavior. Background. Faculty are challenged to reform nursing education via innovation and a departure from traditional pedagogies. Little research on innovative behavior of nurse educators exists in the literature. Method. Nurse educators randomly selected from 150 accredited baccalaureate nursing programs were invited to complete an online survey. Results. The nurse educators perceived themselves as moderately empowered. Significant and positive correlations between structural empowerment and innovative behavior were found. Significant differences in the degree of perceived innovative behavior were associated with age, academic rank, employment status, and tenure status. Nurse educators employed in private institutions perceived greater structural empowerment than those employed in public institutions. Conclusion. The findings support Kanter's belief that workplace environment structures can positively influence workers' behavior and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence in higher education supports the practice of active learning as a method of promoting student engagement among college students that has positive effects on problem solving, critical thinking, and persistence. No studies have been reported that evaluate the undergraduate nursing students' level of engagement in college compared with other majors. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist between levels of nursing students' engagement and those of education and other health professional students as measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE is a self-reporting instrument consisting of 70 items measuring level of academic challenge; student interactions with faculty; supportiveness of the campus environment; participation in active and collaborative learning; and enriching educational experiences. Using a descriptive, correlation design, the study incorporated a secondary analysis of NSSE data collected from freshmen and seniors during 2003. Selected demographic data (freshman or senior status) and NSSE data measuring five benchmarks of engagement were analyzed using ANOVA and t-tests to determine relationships. Freshmen were found to be less engaged than seniors on four of five benchmarks. Nursing and other health profession majors perceived themselves to be significantly less engaged in active and collaborative learning than education majors. Nursing students perceived themselves as significantly more academically challenged than their peers in education and other health professions. Results indicate that although nursing students are engaged in rigorous curricula, they do not perceive themselves to be engaged in student-centered and interactive pedagogies. Implications for further research exploring potential barriers surrounding active and collaborative learning strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nurses to work collaboratively as members of interprofessional health care teams on behalf of patients. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision making, and group processing skills.This study incorporated a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group to examine the effect of collaborative testing as a learning strategy on student learning and retention of course content as well as group process skills and student perceptions of their learning and anxiety.The setting was a baccalaureate nursing program; the sample consisted of two groups of senior students enrolled in Medical-Surgical Nursing II. Student learning, as measured by unit examination scores, was greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Retention of course content, as measured by final examination scores, was not greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Student perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with students reporting increased learning as a result of the collaborative testing experiences. Despite the lack of data to support increased retention, collaborative testing may be a learning strategy worth implementing in nursing education. Students reported more positive interactions and collaboration with their peers, skills required by the professional nurse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective domain teaching and learning can facilitate the reduction of stigmatization of clients with mental illness in nursing students. Experiential learning activities such as simulation are regarded as an effective method for facilitating student learning in the affective domain. The project reported here measured the impact of a simulation experience, "Hearing Voices Which Are Distressing," on attitudes, values, and beliefs of accelerated baccalaureate students caring for clients with mental illness who experienced hearing voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]