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Aim To identify and synthesize the best available evidence on nurse mentors' experiences of their competence in mentoring nursing students during clinical practice., Design: The research employed a systematic literature review that followed the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)., Data Sources: The databases CINAHL, Medline Ovid, Scopus, Eric, Web of Science, Medic, and OATD were systemically searched from 2000 to 2017., Review Methods: The identified studies were screened by title, abstract (n = 3080) and full-text (n = 91) using the following inclusion criteria: registered nurses, nurses' experiences of competence in mentoring nursing students, acute and primary care organizations providing clinical practice for nursing students, qualitative study. Quality appraisal was performed, data extracted and findings from the included studies (n = 21) were pooled using meta-aggregation with the Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI)., Results: A total of 92 extracted findings were aggregated into 21 categories and then further grouped into five synthesized findings: 1) creating an interactive relationship with the student; 2) developing mentor's characteristics and cooperation with stakeholders; 3) providing goal-oriented mentoring; 4) supporting students' development to nurse profession; 5) supporting the student's learning process., Conclusions: This review demonstrated that multifaceted mentoring competence is essential to supporting students' learning processes and helping them become confident professionals. For this reason, the findings suggest that healthcare organizations which provide clinical practice for students should emphasize developing the mentoring competence of nurses by offering nurse mentors adequate education, ensuring that the organizational structure affords them sufficient support, and creating a receptive learning atmosphere., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nurses play an important role in developing the competence of nursing students and acting as role models for students during clinical practice placements. Nurses need diverse competence to successfully mentor nursing student., Objectives: This study aimed to describe and explain nurse mentor competence in mentoring nursing students in clinical practice settings based on self-evaluation, as well as identify different mentor profiles., Design: This study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive design involving a self-administered electronic version of the Mentor Competence Instrument., Settings: The study population included nurse mentors from all five university hospitals in Finland., Participants: Through random sampling, 3355 nurse mentors were invited to take part in the study in 2016., Methods: Data was collected using Mentors Competence Instrument, which consists of 63 items structured in 10 mentoring competence categories., Results: Mentors (n = 576) evaluated their level of competence in various categories as middle- to high-level. They evaluated reflection during mentoring and identifying a student's need for mentoring the highest, whereas student-centered evaluation and supporting a student's learning process were rated lowest. Three distinct profiles of mentor competence were identified. These profiles differed in evaluation of mentoring competence level, previous participation in mentoring education, and time spent on reflective discussions with students., Conclusions: According to their profiles, mentors have diverse needs for support in building their mentoring competence. We suggest that healthcare organizations should provide nursing mentors with education that is based on their individual levels of mentoring competence. Nurses should also be encouraged to use time for reflective discussion with students during clinical practice., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the face of rapid digitalisation and ever-higher educational requirements for healthcare professionals, it is important that health science teachers possess the relevant core competences. The education of health science teachers varies internationally and there is no consensus about the minimum qualifications and experience they require., Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to describe the health science teachers' competences and the factors related to it., Design: Systematic review of original quantitative studies., Data Sources: Four databases were selected from which to retrieve original studies: Cinahl (Ebsco), PubMed, Medic, Eri (ProQuest)., Review Methods: The systematic review used PICOS inclusion criteria. Original peer-reviewed quantitative studies published between 1/2007 and 1/2018 were identified. Screening was conducted by two researchers separately reading the 1885 titles, 600 abstracts, and 63 full-texts that were identified, and then agreed between them. Critical appraisal was performed using the JBI MAStARI evaluation tool. The data was extracted and then analysed narratively., Results: The core competences of health science teachers include areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Health science teachers evaluate their own competence as high. Only in relation to entrepreneurship and leadership knowledge was evaluated to be average. The most common factors influencing competence were teachers' title/position, healthcare experience, research activities, age, academic degree and for which type of organisation they work., Conclusion: It is important to identify the core competencies required by health science teachers in order to train highly competent healthcare professionals. Based on the findings of this systematic review we suggest that teachers should be encouraged to gain university education and actively participate in research, and that younger teachers should have opportunities to practice the relevant teaching skills to build competence., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mentors require competence at a diverse array of skills to mentor students during clinical practice. According to the latest evidence, competence at mentoring includes: knowledge, skills and attributes of individual students' learning objectives, core elements of nursing, learning processes, a reciprocal and trustful relationship, feedback, evaluation, cooperation with stakeholders, and the mentor's personal qualities., Objective: The purpose of the study was to test psychometric properties of a mentor's competence instrument developed to self-evaluate mentors' competence at mentoring nursing students in clinical practice., Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive, explorative study design was used., Settings: Data were collected from mentors at five university hospitals in Finland in 2016., Participants: A total of 576 mentors participated in this study., Methods: The instrument was developed through systematic review, experts' evaluations, and pilot versions of the instrument tested in previous studies. The construct validity and reliability of the instrument were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with promax rotation and Cronbach's alpha., Results: A 10-factor model showed that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales observed ranged from 0.76 to 0.90., Conclusions: The instrument exhibited acceptable psychometric properties, thereby proving itself a valuable tool for evaluating mentors' competence at mentoring students. Further assessments of its reliability, validity and generality for measuring mentor's competence for mentoring students in different contexts and cultures are recommended., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of clinical placements and supervision is to promote the development of healthcare students´ professional skills. High-quality clinical learning environments and supervision were shown to have significant influence on healthcare students´ professional development., Objectives: This study aimed to describe healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision, and to identify the factors that affect these., Design: The study was performed as a cross-sectional study., Methods: The data (n = 1973) were gathered through an online survey using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale during the academic year 2015-2016 from all healthcare students (N = 2500) who completed their clinical placement at a certain university hospital in Finland. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis., Results: More than half of the healthcare students had a named supervisor and supervision was completed as planned. The students evaluated the clinical learning environment and supervision as 'good'. The students´ readiness to recommend the unit to other students and the frequency of separate private unscheduled sessions with the supervisor were the main factors that affect healthcare students` evaluation of the clinical learning environment and supervision. Individualized and goal-oriented supervision in which the student had a named supervisor and where supervision was completed as planned in a positive environment that supported learning had a significant impact on student's learning., Conclusions: The clinical learning environment and supervision support the development of future healthcare professionals' clinical competence. The supervisory relationship was shown to have a significant effect on the outcomes of students' experiences. We recommend the planning of educational programmes for supervisors of healthcare students for the enhancement of supervisors' pedagogical competencies in supervising students in the clinical practice., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)