Changes in nursing students' expectations of nursing clinical faculties' competences: A longitudinal, mixed methods study

Development and validation of a core competence instrument for clinical nursing teachers: A mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Competence-based education (CBE) highlights the important position of clinical nursing teachers and stipulates additional requirements for them. However, research on the core competence of clinical nursing teachers remains lacking, which has hindered their development and the cultivation of nursing students.

OBJECTIVES

Developing and verifying a core competence instrument to evaluate clinical nursing teachers' competence in clinical settings and provide empirical guidance for their development.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods study including qualitative and quantitative methods.

SETTINGS

Primarily, 9 universities and hospitals throughout China.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen nursing experts and 2 students participated in the qualitative study, and 626 nursing professionals ultimately participated in the quantitative study.

METHODS

The instrument was developed based on behavioral event interviews and expert consultation as well as exploratory factor analysis using a cross-sectional survey, following which the instrument was verified by confirmatory factor analysis.

RESULTS

A 4-factor core competence instrument for clinical nursing teachers was developed and verified; the four factors included education and teaching competence, clinical nursing competence, management competence and professional awareness and attitude, and the instrument included 25 items in total. The instrument has an explanatory degree of 90.58 %, and it exhibits good reliability and validity as well as a good fit to the data.

CONCLUSIONS

This instrument can provide theoretical guidance for the development of clinical nursing teachers and can be widely used as an effective tool in practice. Nursing administrators and educators should implement policies and programs to help clinical nursing teachers improve their competencies with regard to these four aspects, which can play an important role in the development of nurse education.

A qualitative analysis investigating competence assessment of undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

This study reports on the process of competence assessment in undergraduate nursing programmes in New Zealand.

AIM

To identify current competence assessment practice and determine how competence assessment is constructed in order to reflect student development.

DESIGN

This research utilised a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design.

PARTICIPANTS

Nurse educators from nine tertiary institutions opted to participate in the research.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

Three themes are reported in this article; clinical assessment pedagogy, measure of competence, and relational assessment practice. There was significant variation between and within institutions in conducting competence assessment while scaffolding competence assessment throughout the degree programme was highlighted as a challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the need for an assessment process that allows for the developing competence of nursing students and competencies that are designed to adequately assess students in each year of the nursing programme.

Instruments assessing nurse educator's competence: A scoping review

AIM

The aim of this review was to synthesize the instruments that assess nurse educators' competence.

DESIGN

A scoping review was conducted with the five-stage process informed by Arksey and O'Malley.

REVIEW METHODS

The predetermined search strategy was used including an additional hand search. The studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria to answer the research questions followed: (1) "What instruments are used to assess nurse educators' competence?", (2) "How are the psychometric properties of nurse educators' competence instruments reported in the literature?". The thematic synthesis was used.

DATA SOURCES

The literature search was conducted in January 2021 using the CINAHL, MEDLINE and ERIC databases from January 2000 to December 2020.

RESULTS

Of the 1,567 articles searched through, 25 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 19 instruments with 10 areas of competence were identified. Typical competence areas were pedagogical and nursing competence. In addition, leadership in managerial competence was included in several instruments. However, the theoretical backgrounds of the instruments varied and the psychometric properties were reported in varied ways in reviewed studies.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION

This study provides evidence about the valid and comprehensive assessment of nurse educators' competence, as competent nurse educators promote excellence in nursing education. To assess a nurse educators' competence comprehensively, a variety of theoretical backgrounds of this competence and more than one instrument for the measurement need to be considered. The selection of the instruments to assess nurse educators' competence should be based on the selected theoretical background and use of valid measurements.

REPORTING METHOD

This study was reported by following the reporting recommendations of the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution was applied, since research design was a scoping review.

Expectations of learner nurses in sampled clinical areas of the Limpopo province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Nurse training in South Africa requires placing learner nurses in real-life setting for them to gain practical experience. To complete their training and be competent practitioners, learner nurses must have expectations and aspirations when they go for practice.

AIM

This study sought to understand learner nurses' expectations at clinical learning areas during placement.

SETTING

Four clinical learning areas in the Limpopo province were purposely sampled. Tertiary, regional and district hospitals were sampled to obtain information from different levels of care.

METHODS

A qualitative, descriptive and contextual design was used to explore the expectations of learner nurses during clinical placements. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from various bodies and ethical considerations were ensured. Nonprobability purposive sampling was used, and six focus groups were formed. Each focus group discussion (FGD) had six to eight participants. The FGDs were according to level of study, with the third and fourth levels each having two FGDs because of the number of participants.

RESULTS

The following three themes emerged: milieu in the clinical learning areas, learning in the clinical areas and self-actualisation.

CONCLUSION

The clinical learning areas are institutions of promoting learning through practice. They should promote learning and offer support to learners so that learners meet their expectations, which may prevent discouragement and attrition.

CONTRIBUTION

This study adds to the body of knowledge in nursing education and practice because when students' expectations are met, their training outcome might be positive leading to competent professional nurses.

Effective Teaching Behaviors of Clinical Nursing Teachers: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Objectives

To identify, appraise, and synthesize the available evidence exploring the effective teaching behaviors of clinical nursing teachers.

Design

The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines were followed, and a meta-synthesis was conducted.

Review Methods

Following databases were searched for relevant qualitative studies published in English and reporting primary data analysis, including experiences and perceptions of nursing students: PubMed, EBSCOhost, OVID, etc. Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument were used to pool the qualitative research findings. Through the repeated reading of the original literature, the similar findings were combined and sorted into new categories, and then summarized into different synthesized themes.

Results

A total of nine articles were included. The review process produced 29 subcategories that were aggregated into seven categories. The categories generated three synthesized findings: good teaching literacy, solid professional competence, and harmonious faculty-student relationship.

Conclusions

The effective teaching behaviors of clinical nursing teachers are the driving force for the progress and growth of nursing students. In order to improve the effectiveness of clinical nursing teaching, nursing teachers should be fully aware of effective teaching behaviors for nursing students to master nursing theories and skills.

Patients' and Nurses' Perceptions of Importance of Caring Nurse-Patient Interactions: Do They Differ?

Nurse−patient interaction is a professional and therapeutic relationship created to enable nurses to assess, plan, and deliver health care aimed at meeting patients’ basic human needs. The main aim of this study was to identify distinctive characteristics and differences in perceptions between patients and nurses related to the importance of caring interactions and to examine the contribution of independent variables in explaining their perceptions. A total of 446 respondents were included in the research (291 patients and 155 registered nurses). Data were collected using the translated and standardized 70-item version of the Caring Nurse−Patient Interactions Scale (CNPI-70) version for patients and version for nurses. According to the overall CNPI-70 scale, there was a significant difference in patients’ and nurses’ perception (p < 0.001). Patients assessed caring nurse−patient interactions significantly higher (4.39) than nurses (4.16). Additionally, nurses assessed all subscales significantly lower than patients who assessed them high (p < 0.05), except for the subscales for “environment” (p = 0.123) and “spirituality” (p = 0.132). Independent variables did not contribute to an explanation of respondents’ perceptions. Providing quality physical assistance in meeting human needs through effective communication and teaching is crucial for promoting a holistic patient approach, improving psychosocial support and nurse−patient interaction, and attaining greater satisfaction with health care provided without additional financial investments.

Nursing supervisors' perspectives on student preparedness before clinical placements- a focus group study

Clinical placements and supervision is an integral part of nursing education internationally. There are significant differences between students’ expectations of clinical learning and their fulfillment. Few studies have focused on supervisors’ perspectives on clinical placements. The objective of this study was to explore nursing supervisors’ perspectives on students’ preparedness for clinical placements.

Psychometric evaluation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Croatian version of Nursing student perceptions of dishonesty scale

BACKGROUND

Nursing students' perceptions about academic dishonesty directly affects their conduct in the clinical environment. Hence, it is crucial to systematically observe this phenomenon and develop appropriate instruments for assessing their perception of dishonest behaviors.

PURPOSE

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the "Nursing Student Perceptions of Dishonesty Scale" into the Croatian language and assess its validity and reliability.

METHODS

The study was performed in April 2018 in one Croatian university, 733 BSc and MSc nursing students from all Croatian counties participated in the study.

RESULTS

Nursing experts confirmed the high degree of content validity of the instrument and suggested the exclusion of 13 items. The final version of the translated instrument, loaded on 11 instead of 9 factors, where subscale Cheating and Cutting corners loaded on two distinct factors. Results of internal consistency by subscale and overall (Cronbach α > 0.7 and test-retest reliability (p < 0.001)) indicate a high level of instrument reliability.

CONCLUSION

The translated instrument indicates a high level of reliability and validity in assessing the students' perception of academic dishonest behavior in the Croatian socio-cultural context. The identified linguistic, cultural and organizational differences provide more insight regarding understanding what this population perceives in terms of academic dishonesty.

Validation of a Questionnaire to Analyze the Expectations of First-Year Nursing Students

AIM

The aim of this study was to design and validate a questionnaire to analyze students' expectations, along with their level of interest and overall satisfaction with their nursing studies.

BACKGROUND

The expectations of students on entering university are closely related to the level of interest that they have in their area of study and their general satisfaction with it. This is certainly a conditioning factor in their learning. In this regard, there are few quantitative instruments that measure the expectations of first-year nursing students.

METHOD

A mixed questionnaire was constructed using items validated in previous studies, along with new items formulated following a review of the literature. The questionnaire was validated with a sample of 339 first-year degree program nursing students.

RESULTS

The scales of expectations and degree of interest showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α > .7).

CONCLUSION

The questionnaire to evaluate the expectations and interest of students demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties.

Expectations of nursing degree students: A longitudinal analysis

BACKGROUND

The expectations of students regarding their studies have a strong influence on their academic performance and personal training, and they are closely related with their academic and professional future.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze initial expectations and how they are fulfilled, in a cohort of nursing students during the four years of their degree program.

DESIGN

Creation and validation of a questionnaire and longitudinal study.

SETTING

University nursing school in Catalonia (Spain).

PARTICIPANTS

339 students of the nursing degree.

METHODS

Two questionnaires were constructed with 10 items each, of a mixed nature: some items were previously validated in prior studies while other new items were made and included, following a review of the literature. The questionnaires were designed to assess the expectations of the students at the beginning of the academic year (CUDEX questionnaire) and the fulfillment of these at the end of the year (CUDEX-C questionnaire).

RESULTS

Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the CUDEX questionnaire and the CUDEX-C was 0.70. Factorial analysis of the expectations questionnaires suggested a three-factor model, with an acceptable internal consistency for each of the factors. Statistically significant differences were found between the initial expectations and their fulfillment at the end of the academic year for all the factors and in all four years of the degree program.

CONCLUSIONS

The three-factor model of the expectations (Academic adaptation, personal development, and academic performance) shows a good fit for the several samples and time points. The nursing students feel that not all of their expectations were fulfilled during their studies, and there were significant differences between their initial expectations and those fulfilled, in terms of all three factors.

Nurses' Self-Assessment of Caring Behaviors in Nurse-Patient Interactions: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nurse-patient interactions based on caring behaviors ensure better working conditions and better-quality healthcare. The aim of this quantitative study is to examine how nurses self-assess the frequency of applying caring behaviors in nurse-patient interactions and to identify the differences in the application frequency of caring behaviors in relation to work experience and education level. The respondents were Bachelor of Science (BSc) nurses and nurses with basic training (VET) employed in different clinical departments of the Clinical Hospital Center in Croatia. The survey used the "Caring Nurse-Patient Interactions Scale (Nurse Version)". The respondents assessed the caring behaviors from the subscale "needs" as the most frequently applied (median (Me): 4.7; interquartile range (IQR): 4.4-4.9), while the least frequently applied were the procedures from the subscale "sensitivity" (Me: 3.8; IQR: 3.2-4.3). The VET nurses reported applying caring behaviors to the subscales "hope" (p < 0.001), "problem-solving" (p = 0.003), and "environment" (p = 0.021) more frequently than BSc nurses did. Compared with less experienced respondents, the respondents with more than 30 years of work experience applied the caring behaviors on the subscales "sensitivity" (p = 0.009), "expression of emotions" (p = 0.001), "problem-solving" (p = 0.008), and especially "humanism" and "spirituality" (p < 0.001) more frequently. The results indicate that respondents are more focused on applying skills or carrying out a task than on caring behaviors which is about demonstrating compassion, loving kindness, and relationships.

Studying During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Inductive Content Analysis of Nursing Students’ Perceptions and Experiences

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest pandemic with a high rate of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Crises like these can harm the academic functioning and psychophysical health of nursing students. With this qualitative study, we aim to explore how students perceive the COVID-19 crisis and what their personal experiences were while studying during the global pandemic. In the study, data saturation was achieved after analyzing the reports of 33 undergraduate nursing students, using the inductive thematic saturation method. Data were collected using an online form, which students filled out, describing their perceptions and experiences. Qualitative inductive content analysis of students’ reports resulted in 29 codes, indicating different student perceptions of the efficiency of state institutions in crises. All students described the spread of misinformation on social networks and the risky behavior of the population. Most are afraid of infection and worried about the well-being of their family, so they constantly apply protective measures. Students recognize their responsibility to the community and the importance and risks of the nursing profession. They also describe negative experiences with public transportation and residence in the student dorm. The fear of possible infection in the classroom is not significant, however, students are afraid of the clinical settings. Thirteen students reported difficulty in concentrating and learning, while all students praised teacher support and faculty work in this crisis.

The Influence of Self-Concept on Clinical Decision-Making in Nurses and Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study is to examine the influence of nurses’ self-concept (NSC) on clinical decision-making (CDM) among nursing students and hospital nurses. A further aim is to examine whether there is a difference in CDM and NSC between hospital nurses with various levels of experience and nursing students. A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2018 in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health and the University Hospital Center, in Osijek, Croatia, EU. The respondents consisted of 568 hospital nurses, and 129 BSc nursing students. Data were collected with the clinical decision-making in nursing scale (CDMNS) and the nurses’ self-concept questionnaire (NSCQ). There was no correlation between CDM and NSC in either students or hospital nurses. Hospital nurses generally had significantly higher scores in CDM than nursing students. On the other hand, students had a significantly higher total NSC level. The results of this study suggest that experience has a positive impact on nurses’ CDM skills. The high NSC estimated by students enables them to easily take up their clinical roles and approach the patient in a holistic manner, which is an attitude that gradually develops during studies and with clinical experience.

Parental Perception of Changes in Basic Life Needs of Children with Disabilities after Six Months of Therapeutic Horseback Riding: A Qualitative Study

Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) has a positive effect on the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning of children with disabilities. Parents’ reports of the effects of THR on their children support professionals in individualizing the THR program. With this qualitative study, we aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of changes in the basic life needs of their children with disabilities after six months of THR lessons and to survey parents’ explanations for the causes of these changes. The study involved parents of 13 children with disabilities who were enrolled in a six-month THR program. Parents continuously monitored their children and wrote a report on possible changes in their child’s needs according to Virginia Henderson’s need theory. Qualitative content analysis of parents’ reports indicated only positive changes in 11 children. Most codes were identified in categories “relationships and communication with other people” and “movement and posturing”. Other categories identified codes such as easier breathing, a better quality of sleep, better appetite, better elimination of stool and urine, more independence in clothing and maintaining personal hygiene, and greater interest in play and learning. Parents’ reports are further supported by the assessments of professionals. Most parents think THR is responsible for the noticeable improvements in their children’s quality of life.

Development of a web-based tool to evaluate competences of nursing students through the assessment of their clinical skills

BACKGROUND

Assessing the clinical ability of nursing students continues to be a fundamental challenge within the nursing degree. Designing innovative teaching strategies while ensuring an educational experience that results in safe nursing practices is an additional challenge for all educators.

OBJECTIVES

To design, develop and implement a tool to evaluate the clinical skills of nursing students.

DESIGN

A two-phase study. In the second phase, a pre-experimental study was conducted.

SETTINGS

Health Sciences Department of the University of Almería, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

250 Nursing students in the second year of their degree.

METHODS

The study was divided into 2 phases: 1st) Web-based tool design and development and 2nd) Usability testing. In the second phase, a pre-experimental study was conducted both with an experimental group and a control group.

RESULTS

In the first phase, a panel of 15 experts confirmed that the content and technical aspects of the tool were adequate (scores of 4-5/5). In the second phase, the participants of the experimental group showed higher final scores in the evaluated skills section, as well as shorter evaluation time and a greater number of observations and registered incidents than the participants in the control group. Finally, the students of the experimental group indicated a greater degree of satisfaction with the evaluation system used.

CONCLUSIONS

The web-based tool designed is an effective strategy to evaluate clinical skills. It is important to have strategies and instruments that allow us to demonstrate the development and acquisition of the skills required for future nursing professionals.