As universities increasingly offer online nursing education, the transition that faculty members must make to their new instructional role is often overlooked. This phenomenological qualitative research involved the use of semi-structured interviews with 16 nursing faculty from four Florida public universities, who were asked to describe their experiences transitioning from classroom to online teaching. Interview questions focused on their prior assumptions about online education, their preparation for online teaching, their current teaching methods, and the identification of information they would recommend as vital for successful online teaching. Participants were voluntary and selected by both criterion and network sampling. Interviews were conducted in-person, audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring themes. Data were validated using member checks, peer reviews, and Atlas.TI software. Participants reported that teaching online was more difficult than expected. Most frequently mentioned issues were time and effort required to design and teach due to factors such as students' needs, class sizes, and designing learning activities. Faculty preparation varied among institutions, but regardless of training most reported the significance of mentors or colleagues as critical for success. While some faculty reported feeling disconnected from students, many reported having better relationships with online students than with their face-to-face counterparts. Over half the faculty discussed the importance of their role as becoming facilitators of learning. Results support the need for institutions to provide both an adequate technology infrastructure and sufficient faculty support. From this study faculty recommended that mentoring and collegiality are vital components of the faculty development process. Administrators need to address issues of time and effort, and faculty need to learn different ways to work that include team approaches and flexible scheduling. Suggestions for future research include identifying the degree to which these findings transfer to other disciplines. Identifying strategies for developing, sustaining, and implementing online mentoring programs for faculty, and information on sustaining better communication in the online environment. Finally, looking at cost-efficient models for delivering quality services is a factor often overlooked by administrators.

This thesis reports a mixed-method investigation into the relationship between training experiences and commitment in students training for a caring profession such as nursing. There are recruitment and retention difficulties in healthcare care professions (Storey, Cheater, Ford and Leese, 2009) and on nursing courses (Waters, 2006). While extensive research has examined the retention of student nurses, little is known about the antecedents, experience and impact of work commitment in student nurses. The findings of such research have the potential to inform interventions and enhance support structures to improve retention in students training for the caring professions. This programme of research initially aimed to explore the experiences of students training for caring professions, with particular focus placed on nursing students, together with how these experiences relate to commitment. Lecturers and students participated in semi-structured interviews in study 1 and 2 respectively. Issues were identified relating to support, such as peer support and staff-student relationships during placement, as being important to understanding the development and maintenance of commitment in students. Quantitative work in study 3 demonstrated that affective commitment was positively related with wellbeing and help-seeking behaviours, and negatively with turnover intentions. Perceived support was positively related to satisfaction with experiences of training, affective commitment, and help-seeking behaviours. In a longitudinal study (study 4) affective commitment and work-related anxiety-contentment were found to decrease, and turnover intentions increase, between time 1 and time 2, before and after a work placement. Further, satisfaction with placement experiences appeared to causally influence affective commitment. However, study 4 provided only limited support to the findings of study 3, partly due to its limited sample. The findings of this programme of research suggest that placement experiences have important implications for the development and maintenance of student commitment to nursing. An intervention following placement could assist in re-establishing student commitment to nursing if required. It is argued more broadly that it would be of benefit for nursing educators to manage student commitment in order to enhance retention, wellbeing and satisfaction amongst students. These findings also have the potential to enhance insight into the nature and impact of commitment in students training for other caring professions.

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if students learn clinical judgment as effectively using computer-based simulations as when using high-fidelity mannequin simulations. There was a single research questions for this study: What is the difference in clinical judgment between participants completing high-fidelity human simulator mannequin simulation or computer-based simulation? A convenience sample of 50 associate degree nursing students in the last medical-surgical nursing course of their program were invited to participate in this study. Analysis of the demographic data confirmed the similarity of the two groups in terms of the potentially important confounding variables such as age, sex, education and prior healthcare experience. The score for each participant from the computer-based simulation (Simulation 2) and the percent of interventions completed in the high-fidelity human simulator simulation (Simulation 3) by each participant was added together to obtain an aggregate clinical judgment score for participants in Group C and Group M. Two-tailed <i> t</i> test for independent means was used to determine if a significant difference existed between the aggregate clinical judgment score for Group C and the aggregate clinical judgment score for Group M. Results from the test indicated that there was no difference between groups at the 95% confidence interval. The similarity of the clinical judgment scores of the computer-based simulation group to the scores of the high-fidelity mannequin simulation group indicates similar utility of the two instructional methods. The use of carefully planned and well-designed computer-based simulations can allow students to practice skills and develop confidence, self-efficacy and clinical judgment independently, freeing faculty for other instructional tasks.</p>

<p> Disparities exist in healthcare related to language barriers and lack of cultural understanding between caregivers and recipients. Increasing the linguistic and cultural diversity of caregivers may decrease the healthcare disparities observed. The research study described in this manuscript was conducted to explore the undergraduate student experiences of nurses representing multiple cultural groups, speaking multiple languages, and representing a cross section of the population of interest. The challenge of speaking English as an additional language (EAL) and belonging to differing cultural groups presents difficulties while successfully completing a baccalaureate nursing program of study. The Theory of Margin was the theoretical framework utilized for the study conducted to achieve an understanding of the educational experience from the student perspective. A qualitative methodology of conversational interviews was utilized to explore the experiences of successful senior nursing students and recent graduates with EAL. Six different languages were spoken by study participants with EAL. Findings of the study revealed participants did not perceive having EAL to be an obstacle to learning. Language challenges resulted from the use of colloquialisms in presentations, handouts, and test materials. Study participants expressed a preference for solitary study practices and a dislike for random assignment to group projects. Support from others was reported to enhance the participants' ability to succeed. Participants expressed feelings of empathy for the patients who were also from diverse backgrounds. Implications of the findings would suggest the need for careful review of course materials to remove colloquialisms and identification of improved and supportive teaching strategies such as purposeful group assignments for nursing education faculty with similar student populations. Future research investigation may explore the perceptions of nurses with EAL who have completed their baccalaureate with more diverse patient populations and examination of the effect of simulation scenarios to improving communication skills of students with EAL.</p>

An on-site simulation-based practice lab was conducted with 42 students enrolled in a blended distance practical nursing diploma program at the end of their first year of study, prior to their clinical placements. The six-hour practice lab involved an orientation, small group activities involving three obstetric-related scenarios using the moderate fidelity simulator Noelle®, and a debriefing activity. An evening social activity was also provided. The study used a mixed method research design involving both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a 20-item pre-test/post-test knowledge quiz, and three National League for Nursing (NLN) instruments — the Simulation Design Scale, the Educational Practices in Simulation Scale, and the Learner Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale — as well as a pre- and post-lab administration of Rovai’s (2002b) Classroom Community Scale. The qualitative component of the study involved semi-structured interviews with 25 students, three lab facilitators, and five clinical placement instructors. Analysis of data collected before and after the simulation-based lab revealed a significant increase in knowledge and sense of community in the group as a whole. Analysis of the results of the NLN instruments indicated that the simulation-based practice lab was instructionally effective. Students were highly positive in their ratings of the design elements and implementation of the simulation-based practice lab, satisfied with the simulation-based learning activities, and confident in their ability to provide patient care. The qualitative analysis added a rich, descriptive understanding of how the simulation-based practice lab promoted instructional effectiveness (i.e., skills and knowledge, confidence, and learner satisfaction), preparation for clinical placement, and community cohesion. Thematic analysis of the interview data identified the following major themes: benefits to distance learners, nurse-patient interaction, theory to practice, positive experience, sense of community, and supportive learning (student interviews); benefits of simulation experience, facilitator role, and technology (facilitator interviews); and theory to practice, positive experience, and sense of community (clinical instructor interviews). This research supports the use of on-site simulation-based practice labs as a means to provide greater readiness for clinical practice and strengthen the sense of community among distance learners. / 2012-06

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High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is a teaching innovation that is becoming a key component in nursing education programs. Nursing students are able to practice skills without fear of harm to themselves or to a patient, and nurse faculty can demonstrate techniques and critical scenarios in a way that may not be available to students or faculty in the clinical setting. However, nursing faculty are not utilizing this teaching innovation to its potential suggesting educational administrators could benefit from understanding the challenges that nurse faculty face when integrating HFS into their teaching practice. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of nurse faculty who were required to integrate HFS into their teaching practice. In this study, seventeen female nurse faculty who taught in the second year of the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon Campus were interviewed about their experiences integrating HFS into their teaching practice. The transcripts were analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) modified Van Kaam method. Six themes describing the essences of the participants’ experiences were identified: striving for self-efficacy, struggling to maintain autonomy, being part of a community of practice, adopting HFS as a teaching innovation, being an advocate, and being proud. An emerging theme, being an outsider, was discussed. An interpretation and synthesis of the results resulted in a conceptualization of the experience. This research has implications for integrating a new teaching innovation. The nurse faculty required support and resources, psychological safety while learning the new innovation, ongoing communication about the innovation, acknowledgement of their accomplishments, and a sense of pride in the institution. Recommendations for nurse faculty include becoming prepared, finding a mentor, participating in discussion forums, and advocating for time needed to learn. Recommendations for educational administrators include ensuring ongoing education and support, involving nurse faculty in discussions about the innovation from the beginning, providing a psychologically safe environment for learning, providing time to learn away from other teaching responsibilities, and fostering pride through acknowledgement of accomplishments.

Bakgrund: I Sverige har sjuksköterskeprogrammet under åren genomgått ett flertal reformer för att anpassas efter de förändrade behoven av hälso- och sjukvård. År 1993 blev sjuksköterskeutbildningen en treårig utbildning som både leder till en kandidatexamen i omvårdnad och en yrkesexamen. Detta har inneburit svårigheter för lärosätena gällande förmågan att kombinera den akademiska skolningen med den yrkesförberedande utbildningen. Tidigare gjorda studier visar att utbildningen ansetts otillräcklig i vissa avseenden vilket har lett till att sjuksköterskestudenter upplevt sig vara oförberedda inför att gå ut i arbetslivet. Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva om sjuksköterskestudenter i termin sex upplever sig förberedda inför arbetslivet som legitimerad sjuksköterska. Metod: Studien är en empirisk intervjustudie med en deskriptiv kvalitativ ansats. Semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem sjuksköterskestudenter i termin sex utgör studiens material. Data har analyserats med en manifest innehållsanalys. Resultat: Under analysprocessen framkom fem kategorier och 14 underkategorier som beskriver sjuksköterskestudenternas upplevelser av utbildningen samt av att snart gå ut i arbetslivet. Kategorierna var; Tidigare erfarenhet, Förväntningar inför arbetslivet, Upplevelsen av att vara förberedd, Styrkor i utbildningen, Svagheter och förbättringar i utbildningen. Studiens resultat visar att sjuksköterskestudenterna upplevde sig förberedda inför arbetslivet men att det finns brister i utbildningen. Klinisk betydelse: Studien är av vikt då den kan öka medvetenheten om hur utbildningen upplevts av sjuksköterskestudenter och därmed resultera i att den vidareutvecklas och förbättras. På det sättet kan sjuksköterskestudenter bli bättre förberedda inför arbetslivet och således besparas onödiga farhågor. / Background: The nurses’-education in Sweden has, over the years, undergone several reformations to adjust to the changing needs of health-care. In 1993 the nurse-education became a three-year course that leads to both a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a professional degree. This has resulted in difficulties for the universities regarding the ability to combine the academic and practical proportions. Studies have shown that the education is considered inadequate in certain aspects which have made the nursing-students feeling ill prepared for the role transition. Purpose: The purpose is to describe if the nursing-students in semester six perceive themselves prepared for the working life as a registered nurse. Method: A descriptive, qualitative approach was used. Semi-structured interviews with five nursing-students in semester six were the material for the study. Data was analyzed using a "manifest content analysis" technique. Results: Five categories and 14 subcategories emerged from the analysis, which described nursing-students' perceptions of the education and the role transition. The categories where: Previous experience, Expectations for working life, the experience of being prepared, Strengths in the education, Weaknesses and improvements in the education. The study shows that nursing-students perceived themselves prepared for working life but that there were certain shortcomings in the education. Clinical significance: The study can raise awareness of how nursing-students’ experience the education and thus result in further developments and improvements. Allowing nursing -students to be better prepared for the working life and therefore spared unnecessary apprehensions.