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A student's experience of assessment has an important determining effect on the way in which they approach learning. This case study examines students' experience of assessment and feedback in a biomedicine degree programme. A mixed-method approach combined with an assessment audit and an analysis of formative assessment use provided a holistic view of students' experience of assessment and feedback across years 1-3 of the degree. The Assessment Experience Questionnaire was utilised together with data from open-ended narrative responses to give insight into students' assessment and feedback experiences. Students (N = 960) reported diverse views about their experiences of assessment across the three years. Third-year students rated their assessment experience significantly lower than did second-year students but not as low as did first-year students. Analysis revealed significant differences in six of eight subdimensions between year 1 and year 3. The trend was downwards, with third-year students reporting lower agreement for the categories of 'Quantity of effort', 'Coverage of syllabus', 'Use of feedback', 'Appropriate assessment', 'Clear goals and standards' and 'Overall satisfaction with the course'. An assessment audit revealed a high assessment load and high dependence on exams. Frequent assessment schedules were seen as positive and formative assessments were utilised by most students. A major issue was a lack of clarity concerning goals and standards for assessments. To enable an improvement in the student experience of assessment and feedback, a dialogue about assessment tasks involving good clear communication between teachers, policy makers and students is needed.

Assessment in higher education requires a high level of accountability and responsibility and is a major influence on student learning but can be a source of stress for staff and students. This project aimed to evaluate first-year students' conceptions of assessment in biomedical science and nursing to determine positive or negative trends and how these can be facilitated or mitigated. This mixed-methods study compared the conceptions of assessment between students in nursing and biomedical science students at one university, using the Conceptions of Assessment questionnaire. The results revealed that overall students in the two different areas of study had similar perceptions of assessment. Students were found to have positive conceptions of assessment which were identified as relating to their secondary education. Thematic analysis of students' responses identified eight themes associated with their perception of what assessment is, and the associated limitations of assessment and the multi-faceted personal factors that affected students' position towards assessment. This study recommends a shift in focus from assessment relating to accountability, towards assessment for learning to maintain students' initial perceptions of assessment to ensure their experience aligns with their expectations. Transparent communication about assessment requirements and support for students to undertake assessment may mitigate students' negative perceptions held towards assessment.

Higher education assessment policies aim to please all, creating confusion for staff and students. This study reports on staff and student conceptions of assessment and the students' experience of the assessment regime over their Biomedical Science degree. There was a general alignment of staff and students views of assessment for 19 of 27 items on the 'Conceptions of Assessment' questionnaire (CoA). Areas of discrepancy were identified in: (i) the use of assessment as institutional quality, students identified this as more important than staff, and (ii) assessment is used for modifying teaching practices, students did not recognise this as an important role. Students experience of the assessment regime over their degree revealed : (i) the excessive quantity of assessment without a clear delineation between formative and summative assessment, (ii) the importance of exams in learning, (iii) dissatisfaction with feedback timing, quality and quantity and (iv) self-reported high use of feedback received. This retrospective study highlights the need for an assessment dialogue between staff and students to reduce student mistrust over assessment and to improve staff-student relationships. Identifying the gap in assessment conceptions may assist staff in understanding student's behaviour towards their grades, feed- back and the competitive student environment.

The aim of this study is to explore the views and understanding of youth mental health clinicians with regard to the physical health of young people with early psychosis and their perspectives on lifestyle interventions improving the health and well‐being of young people with early psychosis. Physical health disparities leading to premature mortality among people with mental illness are well evident in the literature. Mental health and physical health are directly correlated. The risk of poor physical health often begins before the onset of mental ill health. Young people with early psychosis are highly susceptible to poor physical health. A co‐designed integrated approach focusing on early prevention and intervention in overall well‐being and health is imminent for this targeted population to prevent poor physical health trajectory across the lifespan. Ten clinicians were recruited and participated in this study through semi‐structured interviews. Five themes were identified: (i) Impact of early psychosis, (ii) Focus of care, (iii) Conversations around physical health, (iv) Co‐location of specialist roles and (v) Health literacy. The findings of this study confirm the dimensional impact of early psychosis on the well‐being and health of young people through the vicious cycle of early psychosis. Promotion of health literacy along with social connectedness and elements of self‐determination, as well as having a prime focus on the individuals' experience in the journey of health promotion through participation in lifestyle interventions, has been identified as critically prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The utility and uptake of pain management interventions across intensive care settings is inconsistent. A rapid realist review was conducted to synthesise the evidence for the purpose of theory building and refinement. Design: A five‐step iterative process was employed to develop project scope/ research questions, collate evidence, appraise literature, synthesise evidence and interpret information from data sources. Methods: Realist synthesis method was employed to systematically review literature for developing a programme theory. Data Sources: Initial searches were undertaken in three electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINHAL and OVID. The review was supplemented with key articles from bibliographic search of identified articles. The first 200 hits from Google Scholar were screened. Results: Three action‐oriented themes emerged as integral to successful implementation of pain management interventions. These included health facility actions, unit/team leader actions and individual nurses' actions. Conclusion: Pain assessment interventions are influenced by a constellation of factors which trigger mechanisms yielding effective implementation outcomes. Implications: The results have implications on policy makers, health organisations, nursing teams and nurses concerned with optimising the successful implementation of pain management interventions. Impact: The review enabled formation of a programme theory concerned with explaining how to effectively implement pain management interventions in intensive care. Reporting Method: This review was informed by RAMESES publication standards for realist synthesis. Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. The study protocol was registered in Open Science Framework. 10.17605/OSF.IO/J7AEZ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health nursing is a specialty area of practice requiring specific knowledge and skills to work collaboratively with consumers. The Clinical Reasoning Cycle has been recognised as a potential framework to support nursing practice; however, it has been identified that adaptations are required to enhance utility in a forensic mental health services. The aim of this study was to explore and finalise a version of the cycle for forensic mental health nursing practice. Focus groups and interviews were used to explore adaptations with staff from a state‐wide forensic service and forensic mental health nursing academics. Data were thematically analysed. Four main themes were interpreted: (1) allegiance to the Nursing Process, (2) moving the cycle from page to practice, (3) working as a team, or not, and (4) implementation will be a marathon and not a sprint. While nursing academics were more in favour of updating the Nursing Process to ensure contemporary practice is captured, staff from the service were supportive of the adapted cycle but emphasised the need to ensure collaboration with the consumer and their supporters. The adapted cycle was seen to articulate the contribution of forensic mental health nursing care, and support for a nursing‐specific cycle was embraced by other disciplines, despite some hesitation from nurses. Prior to implementation there is a need to ensure the merits of the cycle are clearly articulated, along with a range of resources and specific contextual information to ensure the cycle can be successfully applied to enhance nursing practice and consumer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medication errors are common in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) due to several factors. Effective medication management is essential to prevent medication errors among older people particularly due to the complexity of co‐morbidities they can experience. Objectives: This study aimed to examine and quantify the contributing factors of medication errors from nurses' perspectives and the prevention strategies to reduce medication errors among older adults living in RACFs. Methods: A survey with 140 completed responses from registered nurses (RNs) and endorsed enrolled nurses (EENs) working in RACFs across Australia were included in the study. The survey had 24 items, related to contributing factors of medication errors, and the prevention strategies. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were used in the data analysis process. Results: The study identified medication errors are caused by contributing factors such as use of agency staffing (70.4%) and delays in receipt of laboratory results (94.3%). However, it also identified suggestions to reduce medication errors in RACFs, for example use of electronic alerts (88.3%), and efficient laboratory communication (91.8%). Our results revealed three key factors for causes (workload, interprofessional involvement and interruptions) and suggestions (medication safety alerts, medication process improvement and effective reporting). Conclusion: Medication errors in RACFs are a global problem being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The knowledge and awareness of the factors associated with medication errors and the prevention strategies can guide potential quality improvement plans and contribute to minimisation of risk associated with medication safety in RACFs. Implications for practice: The study recommends strategies for best practices in medication management such as interprofessional collaboration, implementing standardised policies and electronic alerts to reduce medication errors in RACFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health nurses (FMHN) provide care to address the needs of people who have mental illnesses across a range of diverse settings. The Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC) has been identified as a potential framework to assist FMHNs; however, adaptations were required to reflect the unique nature of the clinical setting. This study aimed to explore adaptations made to determine suitability prior to implementation in practice. Nominal Group Technique was used to explore suggested adaptations determined from a previous study and reach a consensus on the changes. Fourteen senior nurses from a state‐wide Forensic mental Health (FMH) service participated. A consensus was reached for two proposed changes. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were interpreted from the data; FMH adaptations are warranted, the focus of the CRC, and who owns the cycle? Nurses in this study considered the need to include offence and risk issues due to the impact these factors have on the therapeutic relationship and cognitive bias; however, they also identified the need to focus on recovery‐oriented care while engaging in clinical reasoning. Nurses in this study also expressed some reluctance for nursing to 'own' the model, due to concern that ownership may cause division among the team or result in inconsistency in care. However, some participant's suggested the CRC with adaptations assisted FMH nurses to articulate their specialist skills and knowledge to others and highlight the nursing contribution to care. Further work is needed to finalize adaptations with a focus on engaging the consumer carer workforce and interdisciplinary team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with depressive symptoms often experience changes in physical activity and lifestyle factors. Despite the benefits of exercise, mental health clinicians often do not refer for or prescribe exercise as part of traditionally accepted models of care for consumers with depression and anxiety. The aims were to investigate: (i) mental health clinicians' understanding of the relationship between exercise and mental health, (ii) if and how exercise is used by mental health clinicians in treatment for depression and anxiety, and (iii) the barriers to prescription of exercise. A descriptive qualitative method was used, and data were collected via individual semi‐structured interviews. Ten mental health clinicians with varying backgrounds participated in this study. The data driven inductive analysis of participants views identified three themes: (i) knowing and not knowing, (ii) consumer comorbidities – the risk and benefit dilemma, and (iii) protecting vulnerable consumers. Enhancing clinicians' knowledge of the beneficial role of exercise in treatment for consumers' experiencing depression and anxiety is an important step. Mental health services can support integration of exercise by implementing policies and training for staff to support exercise prescription, and the role and referral of exercise and physical activity specialists, as part of routine care to improve clinical outcomes for consumers. Additional considerations should be given to fiscal support to access exercise as an adjunct therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic literacy in nursing students has historically been poor this research therefore aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an embedded multidisciplinary approach to academic written communication skills for first year Bachelor of Nursing students in Australia. This initiative consisted of (1) collaboratively embedding academic skills with nursing staff and Learning and Academic Skills Advisors using scaffolded tasks, curriculum/material development, workshops/tutorials on writing skills; and (2) individual support sessions. Data was obtained via questionnaire. Responses were received from 92 (74% local and 26% international) students. Key findings showed the collaborative approach to embedding skills with added follow up, was beneficial for students' skills development, including improved academic writing, increased confidence, and recognition of the importance of academic writing. It is important to equip student to develop academic literacy and an embedded academic literacy program has been determined to assist and may contribute to future professionalisation in nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adherence to asthma medications is commonly poor and is the primary cause for anticipated worsening health outcomes for patients with asthma. Worldwide, qualitative investigations that examine the adherence of young adults (18–34 years) to their asthma medication are limited. Method: This study used a phenomenological research approach to explicate the experience of asthma medication adherence as described by young adults. Data were collected using semi-structured in-depth video interviews conducted with participants aged between 18 and 34 years to elicit their lived experience with adherence to asthma medication. Data from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Edward and Welch (1) extension of Colaizzi's approach to phenomenology. Results: Results yielded four main themes related to the phenomenon of adherence that emerged from the analysis. The themes were: Having a plan; Having knowledge about your medication and asthma triggers; Being responsible with asthma medication; and Health belief. Conclusion: According to the findings, for young people adhering to asthma medication is a process that depends on four vital aspects: (A) plan, (B) knowledge, (C) responsibility, and (D) belief. If young adults with asthma received individualized written asthma plans and have adequate knowledge about this plan, developing the correct health belief is likely to result. Hence, this can lead to a greater responsibility to manage their asthma to the recommended adherence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nominal Group Technique is a method used to explore issues, generate ideas, and reach consensus on a topic. The Nominal Group Technique includes individual and group work and is designed to ensure participants have the same opportunity to engage and provide their opinions. While the technique has been used for around six decades to assist groups, in industry, and government organizations to examine issues and make decisions, this technique has received limited attention in nursing research, particularly in mental health. This discussion paper describes the use of a modified Nominal Group Technique for a study designed to determine a nursing decision‐making framework for a state‐wide forensic mental health service. Modifications were made to the traditional technique, to enable participants to make an informed and collective decision about a suitable framework for the novice to expert nurses, across secure inpatient, prison, and community forensic mental health settings. The Nominal Group Technique generated rich data and offered a structured approach to the process. We argue that the Nominal Group Technique offers an exciting and interactive method for nursing research and can increase opportunity for minority group members to participate. This technique also offers a time efficient way to engage busy clinical nurses to participate in research, with the advantage of members knowing the decision on the day of the group. Consideration, however, needs to be given to the duration and effect on participant concentration, and if not actively managed by facilitators, the possible emergence of group dynamics affecting individuals' decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical exclusion of Aboriginal people and Aboriginal epistemologies in Australian higher education, including health professions education, has produced generations of healthcare professionals who are ill-equipped and lack confidence to provide culturally safe care for Aboriginal communities. This article recounts efforts undertaken at a university in Melbourne to foreground Aboriginal ways of knowing and being through co-creating curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate health professions programmes with Aboriginal expert partners. The intended learning outcome was to develop students' cultural capability for professional practice in occupational therapy, dietetics, or nursing. Herein, we present two co-created Aboriginal curriculum projects. The first describes two sequential, blended learning modules co-created and delivered in discipline-specific classes; the second is an interprofessional simulation involving students from multiple health professions. We use Nakata's cultural interface to reflect on the process of working together in this contested space as non-Aboriginal academics and expert Aboriginal partners and conclude by presenting considerations for navigating curriculum development at the intersection of two knowledge systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic mental health nursing (FMHN) is a specialized field, designed to meet the needs of people who have a serious mental illness across the criminal justice system, inpatient services and community. Frameworks can assist assessment, planning, intervention, documentation and evaluation of nursing care. However, there is no prior research investigating frameworks in FMHN. This study aimed to explore the Nursing Process (NP) and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle (CRC), with nurses, to determine a suitable framework for use service‐wide. A Nominal Group Technique was used to facilitate exploration of the two frameworks, where open‐ended verbal and written responses collected from a Nominal Group were thematically analysed, and the participants voted on their preferred framework. Seventeen nurses from a state‐wide forensic mental health (FMH) service participated. The four main themes were as follows: challenges to current practice, limitations of the NP, perceived benefits of the CRC and addressing implementation. Consensus was reached with the nurses selecting the CRC as the framework of choice. This is the first study to explore frameworks to guide practice in FMHN. Nurses in this study considered the CRC to be a suitable framework for novice through to expert, offering a contemporary framework to guide nursing care in complex FMH settings. Some adjustments to the existing cycle were suggested to emphasize recovery‐oriented practice, and inclusion of family and carers. Any changes to the cycle warrant exploration with the interdisciplinary team and consumer carer workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with mental illness experience a shorter life expectancy compared to the general population. Poor physical health trajectory emerges following the onset of psychosis and is further compounded by the initiation of antipsychotic treatment. Young people are particularly at risk as the onset of mental illness mostly occurs between the age of 12 and 25 years. This represents a crucial period for early intervention to prevent a physical ill health trajectory. Furthermore, those who are at ultra‐high risk for psychosis should also be targeted for early intervention. Lifestyle interventions have been identified as the first‐line physical health promotion practice for improving the physical health of people with severe mental illness. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review following the JBI methodological guidance on scoping reviews to explore the current literature on lifestyle intervention trialled for early psychosis, including first‐episode psychosis and those who are at ultra‐high risk for psychosis. This review also explores the extent of literature examining physical health literacy in this specific population. The literature search was conducted on Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Scopus. Twenty‐two studies were included for the purpose of this scoping review, 21 of which examined the effects of lifestyle interventions and one of which reported on physical health literacy. This scoping review indicates the need for co‐designed lifestyle interventions with the involvement of service users, families and carers and a focus on promoting physical health literacy, social support, and an incorporation of a health behaviour change model focus on promoting autonomous motivation. The findings of this study can inform future development of a novel co‐designed lifestyle intervention for the targeted population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus global pandemic interrupted teaching at Australian universities. Face‐to‐face teaching was replaced by online delivery. This presented challenges for nursing programmes due to the hands‐on teaching requirements and clinical placements. Questions were raised around students' resilience and stress in the face of adversity. This study explored undergraduate nursing students' resilience, challenges experienced, and supports utilized during the pandemic. Convenience sampling recruited students from one nursing programme (n = 340). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC‐25) examined resilience scores through non‐parametric analysis. Narrative responses were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. 121 surveys (40.3%) were completed. Most participants were from second year (n = 77, 63.6%). The difference in median resilience scores among employed participants was statistically significant (P = 0.029) and higher than the unemployed. The median scores of students working in nursing‐related roles were higher than others. Median resilience score across all year levels was 70 (IQR = 62–80), in the lowest score range. Major themes identified were fear of the virus, isolation, and mental health problems. The coping strategies identified were developing daily routines, staying connected, and establishing self‐help techniques. This research has implications to optimize students' learning experience, enhance resilience, and promote mental health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nursing, it is vital that educational techniques are developed to improve students' capabilities to communicate with and assess mental health consumers while on placement. Simulation is a valid learning technique used to prepare students to encounter consumers with mental illness before exposure in the clinical environment. The aim of this study was to explore undergraduate nursing students' experience mental health simulation following their mental health clinical placement. An explorative descriptive qualitative study. Participants were recruited from a metropolitan Melbourne university using purposive convenience sampling. The participants were interviewed after their mental health clinical placement using semi‐structured interview format. A total of n = 14 participants were interviewed. Overall, the participants expressed the fact that the mental health simulation enhanced their clinical placement experience. Two themes were identified: 'The things I might see' and 'Felt better prepared'. There was a total of five subthemes: 'The link between...', 'Having the know how', 'Like an 8‐hour shift', 'Took away the fear factor' and 'Feeling more confident'. It is important that nursing students entering mental health settings receive adequate preparation prior to the commencement of their placements. Students need to be prepared in the areas of building therapeutic relationships, communication, assessment and how to work within a mental health clinical setting. The mental health simulation enhanced students' confidence and better prepared them to undertake their clinical placement which can ultimately affect the care provided to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine professional identity through the group performances of nurses within a specific work environment. Background: Professional identity and social identity are closely linked. Nurses undertake clinical practice usually within a social group environment. The literature is limited on the development of professional identity within the context of nurses' daily work. Design An integrated ethnographic case context design was adopted, consisting of two clinical wards in one acute health‐care facility in Australia. The application of the social identity theory (SIT) was used to study two specific professional activities to describe the group performance of nurses within this organizational cultural context and how this influenced nurses' professional identity. Method: The research was undertaken between 2012 and 2014. Data collection included observation, interviews and fieldnotes of a convenience sample of nurses and allied health‐care professionals who undertook two professional activities in their normal work environment. Findings The development of group efficacy contributed to the development of the professional identity in the homogenous handover activity. Self‐efficacy was demonstrated in the heterogenous multidisciplinary activity. Conclusion: The results indicated the importance of recognizing core identity‐building activities and understanding the value of these activities to professional identity development. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? Outside health care, it is well researched that social identity theory and group performance are important to group development within organizations.Professional identity during the training of undergraduate nurses is well researched.It is known, but under studied, that work contexts are significant arenas where nurses' professional identity is refined and expressed. What this paper adds? Social processes in the work environment sustain the construction of nurses' professional identities.Group efficacy during nurse‐to‐nurse activities contribute to the development of professional identity.Self‐efficacy during multidisciplinary interactions offers insights into the performance of professional identity. The implications of this paper: The findings have implications for informing the development of core identity‐building activities to purposefully enhance professional identity within nursing work contexts.The findings have implications for understanding how nurses self‐categorize their professional identity and how this is expressed differently in a homogenous nursing group from a multidisciplinary group.The findings are relevant to professional leadership, education and service development in the nursing profession and generate important possibilities for further research in other nursing work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undertaking a mental health clinical placement can be anxiety‐provoking for nursing students at times. There is a need to adequately prepare undergraduate nursing students for clinical placement in a mental health setting in relation to their skills and confidence. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a mental health simulation workshop on the skills and confidence of nursing students in providing care to consumers living with a mental illness. The study also evaluated the design of the mental health simulation workshop from an educational perspective. A pre/post‐test survey was administered to a cohort of N = 89 Australian pre‐registration nursing students. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors: Mental health therapeutic engagement, mental health assessment skills, and mental health placement preparedness. Analyses of pre–post differences indicated that all three factors were significantly different between the initial and follow‐up responses, with follow‐up responses being more favourable. The findings of this study demonstrate that there is value in including mental health simulated patient exercise as part of the learning strategies in the curriculum of pre‐registration nurses. This has implications for the quality of care in the clinical environment and level of preparedness of these students' nurses for mental health clinical placement where they will be providing care to consumers living with a mental illness under direct supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim Design Methods Findings Implications for the Profession Impact Reporting Method Patient or Public Contribution To uncover perspectives and refine 12 initial program theories concerning the implementation of pain management interventions in intensive care units. Contexts enabling implementation are delineated, and causal mechanisms within these contexts are described.A realist evaluation approach was employed.Fourteen purposively selected Australian nurses of variant roles were virtually and individually interviewed between July and September 2023. Participants were presented with initial program theory, and their perspectives were collated. Data were analysed using an integrated approach of context (C), mechanism (M), outcome (O) categorisation coding, CMO configurations connecting and pattern matching.Pain management interventions work if perceived to be beneficial, precise, comprehensive and fit for purpose. Nurses should be willing to change attitudes and update knowledge. Unit leaders should nurture the development of nurses' professional identity, access to learning, autonomy and self‐determination. Organisations should change the infrastructure, provide resources, mitigate barriers, develop shared mental models, update evidence and institute quality assurance. Adherence to interventions is affected by the outcomes of implementation and intrinsic merits of interventions. In these contexts, confidence is boosted; feelings of empowerment, self‐efficacy, reflective motivation, trust, awareness and autonomy are developed; and capacity is built. Furthermore, frustration from the variability of practices is reduced, accountability and ownership are augmented, yielding positive implementation outcomes.Findings have implications on nurses, team leaders and organisations concerned with implementation.The findings provided a fortified understanding of conditions favouring successful implementation of pain management interventions. Actions should be undertaken at an individual, unit and organisation level to ensure successful implementation.RAMESES II Reporting Standards for Realist Evaluations informed presentation of study.Intensive care nurses contributed insights to refine the program theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]