Nursing students' learning dynamics with clinical information and communication technology: A constructive grounded theory approach

Student Use of Electronic Health Records to Inform Decision-Making: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

As health care continues to evolve, the electronic medical record (EHR) has emerged as an important decision-making tool. To ensure that nursing students work toward competency with the EHR, this study sought to gather information regarding how students use the EHR.

METHOD

Students in a direct-entry, prelicensure program were observed using the EHR during a simulation-based experience (SBE). Focus groups gathered qualitative student perceptions of EHR use.

RESULTS

Minimal use of the EHR during SBE was identified. Students reported using the EHR for information gathering, validating findings, and nursing tasks.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the need for more robust EHR development and program integration with SBEs in schools of nursing to better align with the clinical practice environment. More research is needed to evaluate how schools of nursing integrate the EHR and how nursing students use the EHR in health care settings to make patient-related decisions. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(12):854-856.].

Nursing practice readiness improvement program tailored for newly graduated registered nurses: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Helping newly graduated registered nurses successfully adapt to clinical practice, evaluating work capabilities, identifying deficiencies, and continuously providing educational support to improve deficiencies are reported to be of paramount importance.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a tailored nursing practice preparation improvement program for newly graduated registered nurses and assess its impact on the successful adaptation of nurses.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study.

SETTINGS

The study was performed at a tertiary general hospital in South Korea.

PARTICIPANT

A total of 53 newly graduated registered nurses (experimental group = 28; comparison group = 25) participated.

METHODS

The newly graduated registered nurses were recruited using purposive sampling to one of two groups. The study was conducted between February and May 2022. The experimental group underwent a 4-week education program that integrated various methods, whereas the control group underwent preceptor training in their department. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using the chi-square test, independent t-test, and analysis of covariance with the SPSS 26.0 program.

RESULTS

The nursing practice readiness improvement program tailored for newly graduated registered nurses was effective in reducing the transition shock (F = 9.18, p = 0.004) of newly graduated registered nurses and improving nursing practice readiness (F = 19.90, p < 0.001), job satisfaction (F = 4.09, p = 0.049), and retention intention (F = 6.20, p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

This study presented an evidence based approach on the use of a nursing practice readiness improvement program for the successful adaptation of newly graduated registered nurses and the establishment of a nurse education system.

Expanding the Informatics Competencies of Nurse Practitioners Through Online Learning

Nurse practitioners' informatics competencies are not well-understood. Limited evidence alludes to the potential need to improve the informatics competencies of nurse practitioners. The primary purpose of this study was to analyze the informatics competencies of nurse practitioners, including nurses training to become nurse practitioners, before and after completing an online learning module in nursing informatics. Six topics were covered in the investigator-developed learning module. A pretest-posttest, one-group, quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The link to the study was emailed to members of a local nurse practitioners' association in California and graduate nursing students at a public university in Missouri. The study was also shared on a professional networking Web site, LinkedIn. Data were collected from 15 nurse practitioners and two nurse practitioner students, using a demographic questionnaire and an 18-item self-assessment of informatics competency scale. A related-samples Sign test was conducted to compare the pretest and posttest scores. Statistically significant median increases ( P = .001 to <.001) were found in five areas. Findings suggest that the online learning module expanded the participants' competencies in specific areas of informatics. The results also provide an initial understanding of nurse practitioners' informatics competencies and inform future iterations of the study.

Developing nursing students' informatics competencies - A Canadian faculty perspective

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore nursing faculty experiences in integrating digital tools to support undergraduate students' learning and development of nursing informatics competencies.

METHODS

This focused ethnography study used a combination of semi-structured interviews, document reviews, and field visits. Convenience and snowball sampling were applied to recruit participants. Data were analyzed concurrently with data collection, using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-one faculty members from nine undergraduate nursing programs in Western Canada participated. Themes discussed include: 1) meaning of the term nursing informatics, 2) faculty perceived nursing informatics competence, 3) developing students' nursing informatics competencies, 4) facilitators, and 5) challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing faculty are relatively engaged in developing students' informatics competencies. However, challenges must be addressed and faculty need more support to improve their own informatics capacity. Implications for Practice and Research: This study has implications for faculty, nursing program administrators, and nursing organizations.

Relationship Between Undergraduate Nursing Students' Self-directed Learning and Training Demands for Nursing Information Systems: A Cross-sectional Study

Self-directed learning refers to an approach to acquiring knowledge and skills in which learners take responsibility for themselves. Currently, it is a feasible way to familiarize with nursing information systems, which are essential components of hospital information systems and widely used in clinical nursing. This study assessed undergraduate nursing students' self-directed learning of nursing information systems and explored influencing factors, using a cross-sectional design and a convenience sample. Participants voluntarily completed a general information questionnaire, a training demands questionnaire for nursing information systems, and the Self-rating Scale for Self-directed Learning, which measured the level of self-directed learning. A total of 353 valid surveys were analyzed, among which 51.8% agreed with the necessity of mastering nursing information systems. Nursing students present a moderate level of self-directed learning, with an advantage in interpersonal skills and a deficiency in learning activities. Students' training demands, confidence in using nursing information systems in clinical practice, attitude toward nursing as a career, and academic performance were identified as predictors of self-directed learning for nursing information systems. Future cross-national research, studies about other factors, and ways to improve formal education are needed.

Israeli nursing students' acceptance of information and communication technologies in clinical placements

BACKGROUND

Nursing students are required to be adequately prepared to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in clinical practice. Yet, studies conducted worldwide indicate personal, organizational, and social barriers reported by students and a discrepancy between clinical resources and students' needs.

PURPOSE

To explore nursing students' usage of ICT during clinical placement and the associations between students' ICT acceptance, human and organizational resources, and ICT usage.

METHOD

Data were collected from 303 second and third year Israeli nursing students, through a self-administered structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

The use of Medical Health Records during clinical placements was rated highest (M = 4.62, SD = 0.74, range 1-5), whereas the use of e-Books was rated lowest (M = 2.26, SD = 1.37, range 1-5). Positive correlations were found between ICT use and human resources, social influence, organizational resources, and performance expectancy. Significant differences were found according to study years and proficiency in computer skills between students. Perceived human resources, cultural group, Hebrew proficiency, and social influence explained 28% of students' variance in ICT usage.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse administrators and educators should promote the preparation of clinical settings in accordance with students' needs and proficiencies. Moreover, the development of curricula and clinical practicums must also take into account the role of organizational, social, and computer proficiency in students' ICT adoption.

Older persons and relatives' experience of coordinated care planning via a video meeting

Aim

The study aimed to describe coordinated care planning via a video meeting from the perspective of older persons and their relatives.

Design

A qualitative inductive research design was used to describe older persons and relatives’ experience of care planning via video meeting.

Methods

Eight unstructured interviews were conducted. Purposive sampling resulted in a sample of four older persons and four relatives. The material was analysed by qualitative content analysis.

Results

The theme being excluded illustrates how the older persons and their relatives experienced care planning via a video meeting as lack of a personal relationship, meaninglessness and lack of participation. The older persons and their relatives had a feeling of being excluded and in an unfamiliar situation. Lack of information about the meeting's structure and content impaired their ability to prepare for it beforehand, which led to uncertainty.

A survey of current practices in data management education in nursing doctoral programs

BACKGROUND

The inclusion of data management instruction within nursing doctoral curricula has not been systematically examined.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of data management education within nursing doctoral programs.

METHOD

Separate surveys were created for DNP (332) and PhD (138) program directors. Survey questions were based on the stages of the UK Data Service Research Data Lifecycle.

RESULTS

One hundred and four nursing doctoral program directors responded, a 22% response rate. Sixty-seven (64%) were from DNP programs while 37 (35%) were from PhD programs. Although program directors reported that they were teaching stages of the research data lifecycle, data management is mostly being taught through individual mentoring or a single lecture within a required course, and that students' project data were not being preserved.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing doctoral programs need to develop consistent data management education, build an awareness of data policies, and clarify student project data sharing and ownership.