Nurse Education in Practice - Articles in Press

The Connected Learning Model for disseminating evidence-based care practices in clinical settings - Corrected Proof

Deborah Lekan, Cristina C. Hendrix, Eleanor S. McConnell, Heidi White — 2010-01-25

Summary: Clinical practice guidelines have been developed to improve patient care and outcomes. Guideline implementation is often stymied by the complexity of patients’ conditions, complex care environments, and limited advanced clinical training of nursing staff. To translate key elements of heart failure guidelines into practice in a nursing home, the Connected Learning Model was developed based on the diffusion of innovations framework. An advanced practice nurse in geriatrics fostered greater interaction and collaboration among key administrative, medical, and nursing staff to promote awareness of heart failure guidelines and to translate key practices from those guidelines into the nursing home setting. Direct care staff skills for early recognition and reporting of signs and symptoms of acute heart failure were enhanced through a learner-centered educational program which included classroom and unit-based instruction and bedside clinical teaching. The Connected Learning Model is a promising method to mobilize advanced nursing expertise to bridge research/practice gaps through implementation of clinical practice guidelines that are systematically adapted to accommodate diverse health care contexts.

Strengthening and updating supervising staff nurses in educational workshops – An international partnership project - Corrected Proof

Anna Löfmark, Ingrid Thorell-Ekstrand — 2010-01-04

Summary: As part of a collaborative project involving Tanzania and Sweden, workshops were arranged for staff nurses in order to develop a forum for discussing the raised demands for supervision of nursing students during their clinical education. The aim was to meet nurses in educational workshops to initiate a dialogue on their views and experiences of supporting and supervising nursing students in their clinical studies. Their experiences of the workshops were also requested. Two groups of nurses in Tanzania (n=30), and six groups in Sweden (n=60) participated. The content, which was agreed between the project leaders in Tanzania and Sweden was carried out either on a whole day workshops or divided at three different occasions. Questionnaires were given before and about two months after, and workshops were also evaluated with an open-ended question immediately after. The nurses both in Tanzania and in Sweden appreciated the workshops as a possibility to create a dialogue and to discuss challenges in the supervision of students. Their views and experiences of the supervision role showed awareness of staff nurses as role models and teachers. Accomplishment of this partnership co-operation through arranging workshops has shown to be an easy and simple way of giving support to staff nurses for the supervision task.

Inter-professional work based learning within an MSc in Advanced Practice: Lessons from one UK higher education programme - Corrected Proof

Lynne Gaskell, Susan Beaton — 2009-12-25

Summary: This paper will describe the implementation of inter-professional work based education (IPE) in one postgraduate Advanced Practitioner programme in the UK. The concept of Advanced Practice has developed as a response of a number of drivers including change in junior doctor training; government policy and increasing demands on the central government funded UK health service (the NHS). The programme was commissioned by the then greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (now NHS North West) to meet service needs.The educational philosophy underpinning the MSc Advanced Practice (health and social care) provided by the University of Salford is IPE linked to work based learning. The process of work based learning (WBL) and inter-professional learning underpinning the programme will be discussed in relation to feedback from university staff, Advanced Practitioner (AP) students and employer feedback taken from programme and module evaluations.We argue that IPE at this level facilitates a greater understanding of the connectivity between professionals working in the health care system in the UK; a better understanding of the skills and knowledge base of colleagues; more inter-professional working and appropriate referrals in the work place. This has raised the profile of Advanced Practice (AP) in the region and ultimately resulted in better patient care with more effective and efficient use of resources ().

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Jacqui Rattray — 2009-12-23

This Australian publication contains information on the theory and practice of nursing and aims to support the education of Enrolled Nursing students and their facilitators in Australia and New Zealand. The book is large, heavy, soft bound and comprises of 974 pages.

Implementation and sustainability of the nursing and midwifery standards for mentoring in the UK - Corrected Proof

2009-12-21

Summary: There is growing emphasis on developing sounder processes for ensuring that nursing and midwifery students are appropriately supported and assessed in practice settings, so that they are fit to practice at the point of registration. To support this, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2006, introduced new mandatory standards for practice education ().The standards outline mentor responsibility for developing and ensuring the practice competence of students and provide a more defined statement regarding accountability for the decisions that lead to entry to the professional register (). Integral to the standards is the creation of a new role final placement mentors; the ‘Sign-off’ mentor. The concept of the ‘Sign-off’ mentor is new and the arrangements for implementing a sustainable approach will be challenging for placement providers. Equally challenging for universities, is the development of a framework that can support, monitor and provide evidence, that regulatory requirements have been met.This paper outlines the complexities associated with maintaining mentor competence, discusses some of the challenges for Sign-off mentors and is intended to contribute to the general discussion about specific aspects of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards and their sustainability in practice.

Application and student evaluation of a Clinical Progression Portfolio: A pilot - Corrected Proof

Marie Cooke, Marion Mitchell, Wendy Moyle, Amanda Henderson, Jenny Murfield — 2009-12-18

Summary: Clinical practicums are often limited by a lack of meaningful communication between nursing students and registered nurses (RNs). This pilot study evaluated the utility of the Clinical Progression Portfolio (CPP) to enable students to learn how to initiate engagement with their RNs and to develop their capacity as students to learn. The study employed a descriptive survey design, with a convenience sample of second-year Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students in Brisbane, Australia. Questionnaires were completed by 129 students from 20 clinical practicum groups. Students who used the CPP were more favourable in their usefulness ratings (−rpb=0.531, p<0.001) and, furthermore, those that used the CPP most frequently were also more favourable (r=0.555, p<0.001). Students thought the CPP helped clarify learning and target appropriate practicum opportunities. When used, the CPP was an important part of practicum, used frequently and considered useful. The CPP format met the needs of students as it was pocket-sized. Overall, students reported that the CPP was a useful learning and communication tool as it provided them direction in how they might maximise opportunities to address their learning needs.

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Gemma Stacey — 2009-12-18

This blended text and online learning package aims to support pre-registration mental health nurses practice development through discussion of the role, skills and values which are viewed as essential in mental health nursing. I am extremely encouraged by the way the package is grounded in service user experience which emphasises powerful and inspirational messages. The stories instantly grabbed my interest and gave relevance to theoretical discussions.

Being reasonable: Supporting disabled nursing students in practice - Corrected Proof

2009-12-17

Summary: Aim: To analyse recurring adjustments made in practice settings and the support strategies put in place to enable disabled students to achieve the levels of proficiency required on pre-registration nursing programmes.Background: Legislative and regulatory changes in the UK require higher education institutions to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students whose needs must be considered and adjustments made before their programmes of study begin. The student practice learning advisor’s (SPLA) primary role is to support disabled students and to operationalise recommended adjustments in practice.Method: An evaluative case study design was employed to analyse the work of the SPLA over 12 months using progression data, individual interviews and reflective accounts.Findings: The evaluation illustrates the need for support throughout the student’s programme which appears to reach a peak in the final year. Disabled students required 20% more contact time than their non-disabled peers. Operationalising adjustments requires attention to inter-disciplinary, practical and communication considerations.Conclusion: Implementing adjustments in practice requires a multi-disciplinary approach in order to support disabled students, and their mentors and to enable the development and application of coping strategies to overcome potential restrictions. The SPLA provides an essential role in ensuring opportunities for the disabled student to succeed are maximised.

Comparing the effects of two educational methods of intravenous drug rate calculations on rapid and sustained learning of nursing students: Formula method and dimensional analysis method - Corrected Proof

Hamidreza Koohestani, Nayereh Baghcheghi — 2009-12-17

Summary: Accurate calculations of flow rate of intravenous medication are crucial to safe patient care. Flow rate of these medications can be calculated using either the formula or dimensional analysis method. However, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of this teaching method or any other method of calculating drug dosages. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of formula and dimensional analysis educational methods of intravenous drug rate calculations on nursing students’ rapid and sustained learning. This was an experimental study in which 42s year nursing students participated. They were divided randomly into two groups, control and experimental and the drug calculating skills were taught to them through formula method (control group) and dimensional analysis method (experimental group), respectively. Before the education, immediately, and three months after the teaching intervention, the students’ skills were examined using a drug calculation test. The results showed that no significant difference between the two groups in pre-test and post-test 1 scores (P>0.05), but did show a significant difference between the two groups in post-test 2 scores (P<0.05). The mean of the scores differences of pre-test and post-test 2 were 9.8±3.34 and 12.85±3.07 in formula method group and dimensional analysis group, respectively, which showed significant difference between two groups. This study showed that immediate post education intervention learning was significantly better in both groups, but, in the dimensional analysis method group, the sustained learning rate was significantly better than in the formula method group.

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Brian Keogh — 2009-12-17

Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology is primarily written for undergraduate nursing students within the American LPN/LVN education system. Consequently this book targets mainly American and Canadian audiences. As a result, student nurses reading this book should be aware that the legislation and in some cases the drug names and their licence for use may differ in Ireland and Great Britain. The book is divided into three units; principles of pharmacology, principles of medication administration and finally the largest section, drug groups. Each of the chapters is written using a nursing process approach and there are learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter. The units are written in a clear, user friendly way and there are countless colourful diagrams and tables throughout the book which are useful in making the often complex pharmacological principles easier to digest. There is also a strong patient/client focus throughout the book with specific chapters devoted to patient teaching and health literacy, lifespan and cultural modifications as well as patient teaching sections related to the class of drug under discussion.

Anatomy for nurses: Providing students with the best learning experience - Corrected Proof

Amy N.B. Johnston — 2009-12-16

Summary: A good understanding of human anatomy is clinically relevant for many health care professionals. A detailed knowledge of where, as well as how, to palpate, percuss or auscultate is essential for adequate assessment, provision of treatment and ongoing care of patients. Thus, the linking of human anatomy and clinical assessment is essential. However, Australian nursing students are often excluded from experiences, such as exposure to cadaveric material, which might enable them to gain a good working knowledge of internal human anatomy. Herein systematic student feedback from nursing students who were provided with a single exposure to prosected human anatomical material and were able to manipulate and interact with that material is presented, in the context of the integrative educational aims and goals of this learning and teaching activity. Thus, this study aims to add to the literature informing ongoing dialog regarding the best set of tools to teach anatomy to students of nursing.

Nurse education in a resource limited environment: An evaluation of an educational teaching package on intramuscular injections, in Blantyre, Malawi - Corrected Proof

Marie Walters, Jeremy Furyk — 2009-12-16

Summary: This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a pilot nursing education package of best practice guidelines involving intramuscular injections in a developing world setting. We briefly examine what is known about intramuscular injection techniques through reviewing the evidence on the topic, and disseminate best practice guidelines, in order to update and improve nursing technique in the paediatric departments of The Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.Methodology: A teaching package of safe intramuscular injection techniques was implemented in October/November 2008. All paediatric wards were involved, and consisted of a 30min structured package, with theory and then practical sessions. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated by a knowledge based questionnaires and non-participant observations of intramuscular injections taking place, to see if new techniques were being used.Results: Theory based learning tested was at a high level and showed the nurses had a good scientific and evidence based understanding for their practice change. A convenience sample of 223 intramuscular injections was observed over December and January. Overall 188 (84.3%) took place in the thigh, the remainder in other locations.Conclusions: Theory with practical teaching can have an impact upon the care given, possibly reducing the complications associated with intramuscular injections. Further plans include ensuring sustainability of the programme and extention of the project to other developing countries.

Learning features in computer simulation skills training - Corrected Proof

Eva Johannesson, Mats Olsson, Göran Petersson, Charlotte Silén — 2009-12-16

Summary: New simulation tools imply new opportunities to teach skills and train health care professionals. The aim of this study was to investigate the learning gained from computer simulation skills training. The study was designed for optimal educational settings, which benefit student-centred learning. Twenty-four second year undergraduate nursing students practised intravenous catheterization with the computer simulation program CathSim. Questionnaires were answered before and after the skills training, and after the skills examination. When using CathSim, the students appreciated the variation in patient cases, the immediate feedback, and a better understanding of anatomy, but they missed having an arm model to hold. We concluded that CathSim was useful in the students’ learning process and skills training when appropriately integrated into the curriculum. Learning features to be aware of when organizing curricula with simulators are motivation, realism, variation, meaningfulness and feedback.

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Gayatri Nambiar-Greenwood — 2009-12-14

This book is aimed at mainly final year students and newly qualified teachers (NQT’s). Each chapter is introduced in a set pattern which contains realistic advice, accompanied by the theory that underlies good practice. The simplicity of the practical set-up cleverly disguises the in-depth discussion in a very user-friendly manner.

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Ruth Doyle — 2009-12-14

Everybody from the student nurse to the experienced nurse practitioner finds that their memory can fail them when trying to recall information essential to everyday nursing practice. For these sticky situations the “Clinical Pocket Reference for Nurses” is an excellent resource. This compact little book is packed with useful information for best practice care. The information is laid out clearly in an easy to read style with multiple examples and illustrations to aid understanding.

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Samantha Chenery-Morris — 2009-12-14

This short text book aims to help improve students’ writing as many study skills texts do. Although primarily aimed at undergraduate students, there were a several sections that are applicable to students at all levels.

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Patricia Williams — 2009-12-14

As and adult lecturer for pre registration nurses I found this book an invaluable asset for student learning. Each chapter is complete in itself and broadens the outlook of the reader to encompass all aspects of care. To enhance the aspect of total nursing care each chapter has clear links to other chapters which provides the student with opportunities to cross reference information to enhance their knowledge.

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Anne Felton — 2009-12-04

This book developed following the publication of the Chief Nursing Officers Review of Mental Health Nursing () and the Report of the Review of Mental Health Nursing in Scotland (). The values, competencies and central themes of these reviews provide the core focus for this book. The authors aim to provide a resource for mental health nursing students that reflects the future direction of the profession chapters are themed into three parts; putting values into practice, improving outcomes for service users and a positive modern profession. As such the book includes chapters on a diverse range of subjects relevant to contemporary mental health nursing practice including fostering guided self-help, recovery and social inclusion and personal and professional development. These are produced by some of the leading mental health professionals and academics.

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Sarah Burston — 2009-12-04

Increasing patient complexity, technological advances and workload issues all contribute to student nurses anxiety. Added to this is the anxiety experienced in regard to skill development particularly in regard to performing skills for the first time in the clinical setting. The ambition of this book is to assist nursing students who have completed the first year of the standard nursing program. With their clinical skills development providing a comprehensive description of at adult and general nursing clinical skills. This book is afforded credibility by the wealth of experienced contributors from a variety of clinical specialities with contemporary experience to draw upon.

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Louise Daly — 2009-12-02

Caring for older people is a cornerstone of contemporary nursing practice, pertinent to nurses across a range of practice settings. The importance of this aspect of nursing continues to grow particularly when demographic projections anticipating an increase in the number of adults living longer into later life are appreciated. Touhy and Jett’s text is designed to equip nurses with knowledge of the current evidence base underpinning gerontological nursing. While some texts may have historically focused on illness focussed approaches to ageing, this text laudably adopts a health and wellness approach. It is thus well positioned to assist nurses working in a variety of practice contexts across the continuum of care.

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Paul P. Corrigan — 2009-11-12

This dictionary is an abridged version of the full dictionary by the same publisher. It is a guide to the varied language used by the range of health professionals. However, to call it a “pocket dictionary” is perhaps ambitious. A volume that runs to 1478 pages would struggle to fit in anybody’s pocket, but would be a useful reference for students and qualified staff in the clinical environment.

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Daniel Gill — 2009-10-30

This is a handy sized book designed to provide guidance for nursing students during the practice component of their nursing education. Written by two nurses with broad management and educational backgrounds, the book is laid out in six chapters, as detailed below.

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Colin Griffiths — 2009-10-30

This timely book examines the current state of inclusion of people with intellectual disability in the United Kingdom. Service provision, in the light of the differing policy documents that have been developed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is described and to some extent a critical analysis of the success of the policies is enunciated. For some reason the state of play in Wales is not covered.

Developing discharge practice through education: Module development, delivery and outcomes - Corrected Proof

Liz Lees, Denise Price, Amanda Andrews — 2009-10-28

Summary: In England (UK) the discharge of patients from hospital is a source of constant scrutiny from primary care trusts in order to reduce the patient length of stay in Hospital. To support nurses in practice a part time, post registration discharge practice education module was developed entitled Facilitating Timely Patient Discharge. It was the first of its kind to be accredited at degree level (level 6) during 2006.University evaluation of the module involved an academic assignment based on a 3000 word case study. Projects in practice were integrated to enable the students to apply theories to clinical practice. This aspect was driven by an organisational impetus to demonstrate learning back in practice to the benefit of Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT). Students self assessed their individual ability pre and post the discharge module using questionnaires citing 17 areas of discharge practice analysing knowledge and ability. They demonstrated an increase in knowledge and ability in key areas such as; ‘understanding complex discharge’ and ‘teaching discharge practice to peers’. Although these were not formally included in the outcomes or evaluations they may inform future module development and design of delivery. The questionnaires were designed and developed with support for projects in practice from the Foundation of Nursing Studies in London.

Contemporary issues relating to assessment of pre-registration nursing students in practice - Corrected Proof

Michelle Fitzgerald, Faith Gibson, Kirsten Gunn — 2009-10-26

Summary: Clinical placements are an essential part of pre-registration nurse education. Mentors have a vital role in providing constructive feedback and assessing the student throughout their placement. There have been reports of failing to fail students in practice, however, little evidence has been provided to support this. This paper provides an insight into apparent mismatches between mentor feedback given to students in their practice assessment documents and feedback given to university and Trust staff anonymously. Our findings appear to illustrate issues of inconsistency and a lack of ability to give accurate feedback on professional values and behaviours. This is in contrast to the feedback on clinical skills – in which the mentors appeared to be in agreement, with the written comments being supported by congruent scores in the relevant competencies.

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Christine M. Thorp — 2009-10-23

Pharmacology Condensed is intended to be a companion book to Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology. Both these books are written for medical and pharmacology undergraduates and as such they go into some depth on drug action at a molecular level and the chemistry of drugs in relation to their interaction at sites of action.

The role of the nurse lecturer in clinical practice in the Republic of Ireland - Corrected Proof

Edel McSharry, Helen McGloin, Anne Marie Frizzell, Lisa Winters-O’Donnell — 2009-10-22

Summary: Undergraduate nurse education in Ireland transferred into the third level sector in 2002. As a result nurse lecturers are expected to develop a model of clinical practice that enables them to be involved in practice and its development while maintaining their own nursing expertise and credibility [An Bord Altranais, 2005. Requirements and Standards for Nurse Registration Education Programmes, third ed. An Bord Altranais, Dublin]. In light of this the researchers set out to explore the perceptions of the nurse lecturers’ role in clinical practice among nurse lecturers, preceptors, clinical nurse managers, clinical placement co-ordinators and students. A qualitative research design using focus groups was chosen. A purposive sampling strategy generated the sample for 5 in-depth focus group interviews with the aforementioned key stakeholders and the data was thematically analysed. Five themes emerged which centred on the maintenance of lecturers’ clinical credibility, the lecturers’ role as a resource to clinical staff, teaching and assessing students in practice, the value of fostering relationships in practice and role duplication. The findings from this study supports the anecdotal evidence that confusion exists around the role but more importantly it gives the nurse lecturer population guidance on how to develop the role in partnership with the various stakeholders in a way that supports the nursing students and clinical staff in practice in an effective manner.

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Mary Tod Gray — 2009-10-19

Three concepts central to mental health nursing appear throughout Fundamentals of mental health nursing: an absolute focus on person-centered care and empowerment of the individual to manage his or her mental illness; collaboration with multiple disciplines to plan and implement care for these individuals; and care plan development through interactive engagement with fictionalized service users (patients), illustrated in online video clips and learning activities which facilitate students’ knowledge application.

The essence of professional competence experienced by Norwegian nurse students: A phenomenological study - Corrected Proof

Kari Thorkildsen, Maj-Britt Råholm — 2009-10-09

Summary: This paper reports a study, which explored the lived experiences of the essence in developing nursing students’ professional competence. Nursing students experience a high level of stress due to unexpected, uncontrolled and uncertain aspects in the clinical learning environment. A purposeful sampling technique was used to select 18 participants from all second year students. Focus group interviews were conducted for collection of data. The data was analyzed by applying the Giorgi method of analyzing phenomenological data.Experience of responsibility is central to professional development. A secure relation with nurse consultants is the basis for learning. Students wish to see contexts and reach a holistic understanding. Continuous guidance as well as students’ continuous supervision of patients is vital for understanding the larger context of care. Educators and professional nurses with supervision responsibility must display the knowledge and skills required to promote the development of nursing students’ professional competence. This study also highlights the importance of the ethical dimension inherent in the concept of competence. Group supervision can offer an opportunity for students to address their experiences of their ability to deal with unfamiliar and existential demands of practice. These fundamental presuppositions comprise collective requirements for education and competence development in practice.

Academic staff perspectives of formative assessment in nurse education - Corrected Proof

Lai Chan Koh — 2009-10-09

Summary: High quality formative assessment has been linked to positive benefits on learning while good feedback can make a considerable difference to the quality of learning. It is proposed that formative assessment and feedback is intricately linked to enhancement of learning and has to be interactive. Underlying this proposition is the recognition of the importance of staff perspectives of formative assessment and their influence on assessment practice. However, there appears to be a paucity of literature exploring this area relevant to nurse education. The aim of the research was to explore the perspectives of twenty teachers of nurse education on formative assessment and feedback of theoretical assessment. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was adopted. The interview data were analysed and the following themes identified: purposes of formative assessment, involvement of peers in the assessment process, ambivalence of timing of assessment, types of formative assessment and quality of good feedback. The findings offer suggestions which may be of value to teachers facilitating formative assessment. The conclusion is that teachers require changes to the practice of formative assessment and feedback by believing that learning is central to the purposes of formative assessment and regarding students as partners in this process.

Transitioning a master’s of nursing course from campus to on-line delivery: Lessons learned - Corrected Proof

Frances Fothergill Bourbonnais — 2009-10-08

Summary: Distance education continues to expand in nursing programs to service students in urban as well as rural areas in Canada. This article discusses the author’s experience with transitioning a master’s course in nursing from a traditional seminar format with 7–8 students to one that included distance students joining the classroom in real-time. The course, ‘Nursing in Tertiary Health Care’ which covers the fall and winter semesters addresses issues and concepts associated with advanced practice nursing for clients of all ages in tertiary care settings. The associated practicum selected by the student with the assistance of the faculty member provides an opportunity to examine the five domains of the Clinical Nurse Specialist role (consultation, education, research, leadership and practice) as one example of advanced practice nursing. The author has taught this course for 12years in a traditional seminar format. During 2006–2007, a synchronous on-line version of this course was also offered whereby distance students joined the classroom at the same time as the other students in house at the university. This was done using personal computers from home or office, and a bridging program called ‘Bridgit’. Lessons learned in making this transition will be discussed.

Translation of the Nursing Clinical Facilitators Questionnaire (NCFQ) to Norwegian language - Corrected Proof

Maj-Britt Råholm, Kari Thorkildsen, Anna Löfmark — 2009-10-07

Summary: The translation and adaptation of English instruments to be used with populations speaking other languages is an important and complex process which is attracting increased attention in nursing and health-related research. The aim of this article is to describe the translation process of the Nursing Clinical Facilitators Questionnaire (NCFQ) for testing in Norway. The instrument is a 28-item-questionnaire with a Likert-type (1–5) scale ranging from the descriptions “strongly agree (1) to strongly disagree (5)”. The aim of the instrument is to measure the efficiency of, and satisfaction with the supervision received from the nurse students’ perspective. The NCFQ questionnaire was translated in six phases. The translation process was conducted systematically by applying the three methods described in the literature: the methods of forward-translation, back-translation and comparison followed by an empirical study (pilot test). The methods were chosen to test the quality of translation, establish semantic equivalence of the translated instrument and to estimate the cross-cultural relevance of the instrument. The translation process has given prerequisites to use the NCFQ questionnaire in a larger study and a possibility to compare different models for supervision of nursing students in the clinical part of their education.

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Fiona Timmins — 2009-09-22

Nicky Stanton has impressive curriculum vitae, placing her in a good position to write this textbook. She worked in both industry and education; and currently serves as a management consultant; trainer and coach in management and communication (among other topics); in addition to authoring two previous titles “What do you Mean, Communication?” and “The Business of Communicating”. This current text is in its 5th edition, thus proof of not only her abilities in this area, but her audience appeal.

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Anne Felton — 2009-08-28

‘Virtual Clinical Excursions’ provides an electronic resource for student nurses. The package includes a CD-rom and accompanying workbook. The CD-rom introduces the reader to the ‘Pacific View Regional Hospital’. This is a virtual hospital with four different wards, medical–surgical, paediatrics, obstetrics and skilled nursing. Each ward has a number of patients with a variety of needs. Within each setting there is a virtual nurse’s station where the user is able to access detailed information relevant for each patient which includes admission paperwork, nursing assessment and baseline observations. Within this virtual environment the user is able to visit the patients in their rooms, view interactions with them through digital clips, conduct assessments and document their activities. There is also a medication room where medication can be collected according to the drug card and then administered. Upon starting the program you are asked to log in as a student nurse and then work through a specific period of care with a patient and guided through this by the workbook.

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Jacqui Rattray — 2009-08-26

This American publication contains comprehensive information on nutritional health promotion, assessment and care for children through to the older adult. The book is soft bound and as it states, a pocket sized guide.

Student nurses experience of learning in the clinical environment - Corrected Proof

2009-08-25

Summary: The clinical learning environment is a complex social entity that influences student learning outcomes in the clinical setting. Exploration of this environment gives insight into the educational functioning of the clinical areas and allows nurse teachers to enhance students’ opportunities for learning. Since Cyprus is undergoing major reforms in nursing education, building on the experience and knowledge gained, this study aims to explore the present clinical situation and how this would impact on nursing education moves to the university. As nursing education would take on a different approach, it is assumed the learning approach would also be different, and so utilization of the clinical environment would also be improved. Six hundred and forty five students participated in the study. Data were collected by means of the clinical learning environment and supervision instrument. A statistically significant correlation was found between the sub-dimensions “premises of nursing care” and “premises of learning” indicating that students are relating learning environment with the quality of nursing care and patient relationships. The ward atmosphere and the leadership style of the manager were rated as less important factors for learning. The majority of students experienced a group supervision model, but the more satisfied students were those with a “personal mentor” that was considered as the most successful mentor relationship. The findings suggest more thorough examination and understanding of the characteristics of the clinical environment that are conductive to learning.

WITHDRAWN: Kee, J, Hayes E. and McCuistion L (2009) Pharmacology: A Nursing Process Approach, Sixth Edition (and accompanying study guide), Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis - Corrected Proof

Brian Keogh — 2009-08-25

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of a Book Review that has already been published, doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2009.07.002. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.

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Simon Daniel O’Grady — 2009-08-21

From the outset this dictionary was appealing. The presentation was excellent and lettering on the spine was extremely attractive. The layout within the lettering was also exceptionally presented, giving the reader text which was big enough to read without straining.

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Brian Keogh — 2009-08-20

The complexity of the nurses’ role in calculating, administering and monitoring drug effects are often, in my opinion, underestimated during clinical practice. Consequently, a comprehensive pharmacology book is an essential purchase for any student nurse navigating their way through their undergraduate education programme. When purchasing a pharmacology book for nurses, the choice of books available for students is immense and deciding on one over another is an arduous task. Pharmacology can present as a complicated subject and getting the balance right between providing suitable information about the biochemical processes involved and the clinical considerations for nurses is difficult to achieve.

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Alison M. Smith — 2009-08-19

My first reaction on receiving this book for review was ‘Do we really need another Nursing Research text book?’ However on careful reading I am convinced that this is no ordinary volume and I believe that it will become an essential resource for students and practitioners. Indeed I have already used it in teaching undergraduate and post-graduate health care students and have recommended it to many as a comprehensive and useful source of information.

Learning packets in nursing education: Reviving the past - Corrected Proof

Yin Xu, Madeleine Martin, Ashley Gribbins — 2009-07-14

Summary: Learning packets gained popularity in nursing education in the 1960’s. Recently, they have been cited as strategies for distance learning. The aim of this project was to integrate Topic Focused Learning Packets as a complementary teaching strategy for presentation of new content to large classes of undergraduate nursing students. In addition to reducing in-class content presentation time, goals included: fostering critical thinking, actively engaging the student, and providing opportunities for team-based interaction. Rationale, design process and packets will be described. The learning packet was viewed positively by the students and faculty. Among 134 students, 119 strongly agreed or agreed that the learning packet was effective in increasing their understanding of the content and achieving the course objectives.

Student nurses’ experiences of community-based practice placement learning: A qualitative exploration - Corrected Proof

M.R. Baglin, Sue Rugg — 2009-07-01

Summary: United Kingdom (UK) health policy has adopted an increasing community and primary care focus over recent years (Department of Health, 1997; Department of Health, 1999. Making a Difference: Strengthening the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visitor Contribution to Health and Health Care. Department of Health, London; Department of Health, 2004. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF). Department of Health, London). Nursing practice, education and workforce planning are called upon to adapt accordingly (Department of Health, 2004. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF). Department of Health, London; Kenyon, V., Smith, E., Hefty, L., Bell, M., Martaus, T., 1990. Clinical competencies for community health nursing. Public Health Nursing 7(1), 33–39; United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, 1986. Project 2000: A New Preparation for Practice. UKCC, London). Such changes have major implications for pre-registration nursing education, including its practice placement element. From an educational perspective, the need for increased community nursing capacity must be balanced with adequate support for student nurses’ learning needs during community-based placements. This qualitative study explored six second year student nurses’ experiences of 12 week community-based practice placements and the extent to which these placements were seen to meet their perceived learning needs. The data came from contemporaneous reflective diaries, completed by participants to reflect their ‘lived experience’ during their practice placements (Landeen, J., Byrne, Brown, B., 1995. Exploring the lived experiences of psychiatric nursing students through self-reflective journals. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21(5), 878–885; Kok, J., Chabeli, M.M., 2002. Reflective journal writing: how it promotes reflective thinking in clinical nursing education: a students’ perspective. Curationis 25(3), 35–42; Löfmark, A., Wikblad, K., 2001. Facilitating and obstructing factors for development of learning in clinical practice: a student perspective. Issues and innovations in Nursing Education. Journal of Advanced Nursing 34(1), 43–50; Priest, H., 2004. Phenomenology. Nurse Researcher 11(4), 4–6; Stockhausen, L., 2005. Learning to become a nurse: student nurses’ reflections on their clinical experiences. Australian Journal of Nursing 22(3), 8–14). The data were analysed using content analysis techniques, exploring their contextual meaning through the development of emergent themes (Neuendorf, K.A., 2002. The Content Analysis Guidebook. Sage Publications, London). The identified themes related to elements of students’ basic skill acquisition, the development of their working relationships with mentors, patients and others, the learning opportunities offered by community practice placements and the effects that such placements had on their confidence to practice. These themes are discussed with regard to the published literature, to arrive at conclusions and implications for future nursing education, practice and research.

Annotation an effective device for student feedback: A critical review of the literature - Corrected Proof

Elaine C. Ball — 2009-06-29

Summary: The paper examines hand-written annotation, its many features, difficulties and strengths as a feedback tool. It extends and clarifies what modest evidence is in the public domain and offers an evaluation of how to use annotation effectively in the support of student feedback [Marshall, C.M., 1998a. The Future of Annotation in a Digital (paper) World. Presented at the 35th Annual GLSLIS Clinic: Successes and Failures of Digital Libraries, June 20–24, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, March 24, pp. 1–20; Marshall, C.M., 1998b. Toward an ecology of hypertext annotation. Hypertext. In: Proceedings of the Ninth ACM Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia, June 20–24, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, US, pp. 40–49; Wolfe, J.L., Nuewirth, C.M., 2001. From the margins to the centre: the future of annotation. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 15(3), 333–371; Diyanni, R., 2002. One Hundred Great Essays. Addison-Wesley, New York; Wolfe, J.L., 2002. Marginal pedagogy: how annotated texts affect writing-from-source texts. Written Communication, 19(2), 297–333; Liu, K., 2006. Annotation as an index to critical writing. Urban Education, 41, 192–207; Feito, A., Donahue, P., 2008. Minding the gap annotation as preparation for discussion. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 7(3), 295–307; Ball, E., 2009. A participatory action research study on handwritten annotation feedback and its impact on staff and students. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 22(2), 111–124; Ball, E., Franks, H., McGrath, M., Leigh, J., 2009. Annotation is a valuable tool to enhance learning and assessment in student essays. Nurse Education Today, 29(3), 284–291]. Although a significant number of studies examine annotation, this is largely related to on-line tools and computer mediated communication and not hand-written annotation as comment, phrase or sign written on the student essay to provide critique. Little systematic research has been conducted to consider how this latter form of annotation influences student learning and assessment or, indeed, helps tutors to employ better annotative practices [Juwah, C., Macfarlane-Dick, D., Matthew, B., Nicol, D., Ross, D., Smith, B., 2004. Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback. The Higher Education Academy, 1–40; Jewitt, C., Kress, G., 2005. English in classrooms: only write down what you need to know: annotation for what? English in Education, 39(1), 5–18]. There is little evidence on ways to heighten students’ self-awareness when their essays are returned with annotated feedback [Storch, N., Tapper, J., 1997. Student annotations: what NNS and NS university students say about their own writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 6(3), 245–265]. The literature review clarifies forms of annotation as feedback practice and offers a summary of the challenges and usefulness of annotation.

Corrected Proof

Julian Barratt — 2009-06-29

With the advent of full British National Formulary (BNF) access for nurse independent prescribers in England in May 2006, and the plethora of advanced nursing roles that utilize prescribing, there has never been a greater need in practice settings for pertinent information about medicines and their related pharmacology. Traditionally in the United Kingdom, this information need has officially been provided by frequently updated editions of the BNF. However, being an ‘official’ source of medicines knowledge does mean that the BNF sometimes lacks the design flair and nuggets of additional information which are evident in Mosby’s 2009 Nursing Drug Reference; a drug pharmacopeia emanating from North America, where it is widely used by nurses. The cover of the book informs the reader that it has ‘everything you need to administer drugs’, and indeed looking at the individual drug entries in the book they have an emphasis on administering drugs as opposed to prescribing drugs, as can be seen in the detailed guidance the book provides on preparing and administering different intravenous drugs.

Corrected Proof

Michael Nash — 2009-06-26

This fifth edition of Psychiatric Drugs Explained carries on from where the others left off. In the preface Healy remains critical of large pharmaceutical companies and their ability to, “manage the perceptions of us all” in relation to the need for psychotropic drugs as a panacea for modern day living. Particular scorn is given to the increasing use of these drugs on children and the complicity of doctors in this.

Corrected Proof

Cheryle Moss — 2009-06-25

This comprehensive text on critical care nursing is a pleasure to read. There are many facets of the text that generate the rich satisfaction that is encountered when reading and utilising the knowledge embedded in this textbook. The editor and subeditors are to be congratulated on the framing and organisation of the text. Twelve units (54 chapters) organised around critical care environments, elements of care, body systems, and care of special populations deliver up-to-date material that cover key physiological concepts, disease and critical care management processes. Each chapter within these sections is beautifully presented. The material is logical, coherent and accessible and yet each author has been able to sustain sufficient depth and coverage to make it an ideal text for the postgraduate critical care students or a very handy general source text for critical care units and educators. The chapters have been written and reviewed by experts in the field, and the text carries the endorsement of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

International student nurses’ experiences of clinical practice in the Finnish health care system - Corrected Proof

Lea-Riitta Mattila, Marianne Pitkäjärvi, Elina Eriksson — 2009-06-18

Summary: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe international student nurses’ experiences of their clinical practice in the Finnish health care system. The data were collected by semi-structured interviews. Fourteen international student nurses of African and Asian origin were interviewed, and the data were then analysed by qualitative content analysis.The results indicated that appreciative orientation, sense of belonging to the team, enhancing independent working, growing towards professionalism and working as a member of the team were descriptions of positive experiences. Descriptions of negative experiences were related to restricted learning and compromised human dignity, which lead to negative feelings of being an outsider, decreased self-esteem, sense of giving up and anticipation of difficulties.Despite the small sample size, the results indicate a need to develop clinical practice arrangements when the language of the learning environment is other than that of the student nurse. As the number of international students has increased in the Finnish health care sector and in nursing education, it is important to recognise the factors related to positive and negative experiences in clinical practice.

Problem based learning – ‘Bringing everything together’ – A strategy for Graduate Nurse Programs - Corrected Proof

Ann-Charlotte Vittrup, Anna Davey — 2009-06-08

Summary: This article discusses a case study that was initiated by a Graduate Nurse Coordinator of an acute care inpatient hospital in Australia. It outlines the conceptualisation and creative implementation of a structured group problem based learning activity which was a component of a Graduate Nurse Program. The learning activity was based on the beliefs that knowledge acquisition today is an active process and should focus on the learner developing strategies to obtain, review and manage information. The learning activity implemented in this case study was valuable as it recognised the benefits that can be gained for the Graduate Nurse by ensuring the context of their teaching and learning activities is grounded in practical experiences. The learning activity aimed to prepare Graduate Nurses to cope with the multiple challenges faced as they enter the nursing profession by enhancing their skills of inquiry, problem solving and reasoning. The evaluation of this case study found that the incorporation of structured group problem based learning did promote the achievement of these educational outcomes with Graduate Nurses displaying critical thinking, clinical judgment and knowledge acquisition skills. An unexpected benefit of this activity for Graduate Nurses was the enhancement of clinical practice behaviours, such as communication and interactive skills. This case study describes the positive outcomes not only for Graduates Nurses in the application of their learning but also the wider benefits which can be gained for the organisation, patient care standards and the health care team. It is anticipated that this article will be an inspiration to others who are interested in implementing innovative teaching strategies into Graduate Nurse Programs.

Supporting disabled students in practice: A tripartite approach - Corrected Proof

Lauren Griffiths, Piers Worth, Zoe Scullard, Davina Gilbert — 2009-06-08

Summary: Universities are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students. For providers of professional courses, in this case pre-registration nursing, this requirement is perceived to pose significant challenges. In part this is due to the nature of the course, where practice learning is a central component and therefore clinical hands-on experience of the care of patients/clients is an absolute requirement. Concerns around the ability of disabled students’ to meet the programme requirements have been expressed.This article describes the co-development of a six-phase tripartite model that provides a supportive framework for disabled student nurses in the practice environment. A brief overview of the literature will be given and a single case study will be used to demonstrate the model in action. The development of broad partnership working between the Practice Learning Team, The Disability Service and the Student Placement Facilitator, taking a student centric approach, is outlined. Finally, the process by which a critical knowledge base, on which decisions around reasonable adjustment can be made is discussed.

Pre-registration adult nurses’ knowledge of safe transfusion practice: Results of a 12month follow-up study - Corrected Proof

Fiona C. Smith, Jayne Donaldson, Liz Pirie — 2009-05-25

Summary: This research project ascertained student nurses’ knowledge retention of safe transfusion practice following a standardised teaching and learning programme (produced by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, United Kingdom (UK)) within a School of Nursing in Scotland, UK.Several studies including the Serious Hazard of Transfusion (SHOT) annual reports demonstrated that there are risks to the patient in receiving blood components: receiving the wrong blood was the most common risk associated with blood transfusion ().This evaluative study used a questionnaire to assess the level of knowledge students (n=118) attained on the day of the session, 4–6months and 11–12months following the session.The study provided an insight into the effectiveness of a standardised teaching approach and highlighted areas for review in light of incorrect answers elicited. Despite all receiving the Standardised Programme, there was a wide range of initial overall scores achieved. The study demonstrated, within the small sample completing at all 3 time points, that there is clear degradation of knowledge during the study period. The influence of experience on knowledge retention appears to have a positive effect at 6months but no appreciable effect at 12months.These outcomes merit further, more robust and multi centre investigation to identify if there is replication of results.