Relationships between reality shock, professional self-concept, and nursing students' perceived trust from nursing educators: A cross-sectional study

Promoting Academic Success in Nursing Education Through Academic Coaching: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Academic support services can improve undergraduate and graduate nursing program outcomes such as program completion and passing the NCLEX. Academic success coaching complements traditional support strategies by providing study skills and time management tools, promoting goal setting and self-efficacy, and referring students to support resources. This review examined interventions that academic success coaches use to improve student success and retention, licensing examination pass rates, and academic success.

METHOD

A scoping literature review identified types of interventions that resulted in significant improvement in student academic and holistic success.

RESULTS

Four classes of interventions were identified as effective in supporting student success: (1) academic support; (2) social and emotional support; (3) clinical guidance; and (4) course and program design.

CONCLUSION

Academic coaches are educated to identify student needs, provide support, and refer students to resources to improve academic outcomes. Future research should evaluate the need for academic success coaches to promote academic nursing student success. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(8):515-524.].

Students' core competence performance during fundamental nursing practicum: A cross-sectional survey with importance-performance analysis

AIM

Limited available studies compare the core competence performance of students undertaking their practicum at different level-of-care practicum sites. This study aimed to (1) compare the gaps between the perception of importance for competence and the perceived performance of nursing students at practicum sites involving different level-of-care and (2) identify low competencies that must be prioritized for improvement at different sites during the fundamental nursing practicum.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A total of 659 students who had passed their fundamental nursing practicum within 1 month from six nursing colleges in Taiwan were recruited. The students completed the 25-item Core Competence in Fundamental Nursing Practicum Scale, wherein both the importance and performance level of each item are indicated. One-way analysis of variance along with the Scheffe post hoc test and importance-performance analysis were used to explore the gaps between the perception of importance for competence and the perceived performance and to identify weak competencies that must be prioritized for improvement, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with nursing students practicing in district hospitals (predominantly caring for chronically ill patients), nursing students practicing in medical centres (predominantly caring for patients with severe and critical conditions) had larger gaps in total scores and the application of nursing processes. Students in medical centres also had larger gaps in professional attitude than their counterparts in long-term care facilities. Importance-performance analysis identified a common shortfall in communication skills among nursing students for all level-of-care practicum sites. Students at long-term facilities had the highest number of weak competencies that required improvement. The results of this study can guide instructors in designing curricular activities focused on the weaker core competencies of the students at a practicum site for each level of care.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contributions.

Professional self-concept of BSN students: A cross-sectional correlational study

BACKGROUND

Professional self-concept consists of one's judgments, attitudes about oneself professionally, and one's own perception as a professional. A positive professional self-concept can support students and new nurses throughout their nursing careers.

OBJECTIVE

To describe levels of self-concept among pre-licensure undergraduate students.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

The participants were nursing students in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the United States.

DESIGN/METHODS

This is a cross-sectional correlational study with self-report instruments, including demographics and the Professional Self-Concept of Nurses Instrument. Data (N = 103) were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 29.0. Descriptive statistics and professional self-concept scores were examined with independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlations.

RESULTS

Most participants were female (n = 90), with a mean age of 20 years (SD = 1). The mean professional self-concept of nurses score was 78 (SD = 7), ranging from 27 to 108, and professional self-concept was positively correlated with receiving tutoring through the university's program, working as a tutor for nursing students or students in prerequisite classes, transferring into the nursing program, and participating in campus nursing organizations. Professional self-concept was negatively correlated with advancement in semesters of the nursing program, being a first-generation college student, having a family member who is a nurse, GPA, and having clinical-related work experience in healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of exposure to nursing may be related to lower professional self-concept. This is important to recognize and it may generalize to other nursing schools and health-related departments. Schools of nursing should enhance students' resilience by promoting self-concept. Our findings also shade light on self-care and the mental health of healthcare professionals.

The Lived Experience of Nursing Students from Student Work in Clinical Environments: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Introduction

Undergraduate nursing students often work part-time or even full-time while studying at university completing their bachelor's degrees. The aim of this study is to explain the meaning of the lived experiences of nursing students working as students in clinical field.

Methods

A phenomenological study was conducted at the nursing and midwifery school of Tabriz, Iran. Purposefully, 20 baccalaureate nursing students with experience working as student worker nurses were recruited. The sample size was determined according to data saturation. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were held with the participants over 3 months (April 2020 to June 2020), and Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data.

Results

Five main themes extracted from the data analysis, including "students' clinical competency", "nurse-student relationships", "shift work", "mislearning", and "chaotic wards". A further 12 sub-themes extracted under the five main themes.

Conclusion

The work of nursing students in clinical environments as student worker nurses is a two-dimensional phenomenon with advantages and disadvantages. The benefits are improving the nursing students' clinical and communication skills, increasing their self-confidence, learning and practicing discipline and nursing responsibilities, and the disadvantages are facing reality shock stress, and mislearning.

Assessment of academic burnout and professional self-concept in undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nursing turnover and shortage are an increasing phenomenon throughout the world; thus, it is critical to determine the factors that contribute to them. Nursing students' retention plans and turnover intentions are significantly influenced by academic burnout and professional self-concept. The COVID-19 pandemic could aggravate the study-associated stresses leading to burnout and jeopardize the nursing student's professional socialisation which is a key factor in their professional self-concept formation, it is important to investigate their relationship.

PURPOSE

To examine the relationship between professional self-concept and academic burnout among undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students and identify predictors related to academic burnout.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2021. The participants were undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students from two campuses of a large university in Victoria, Australia. Out of 1630 students, 198 participated in the study. The students were invited to complete an online survey through the university's online learning platform or flyers. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Bootstrapping approaches were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The analysis found a significant positive correlation between the nursing students' total professional self-concept and academic burnout professional efficacy (r = 0.48; p < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was also detected between the total professional self-concept and academic burnout cynicism (r = - 0.21; p < 0.01). Moreover, the total nurse professional self-concept was a significant predictor of both academic burnout subscales cynicism and professional efficacy (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Positive nursing professional self-concept may alleviate student's academic burnout, and it might contribute to the promotion of their professional efficacy.

Nurses' perspectives on professional self-concept and its influencing factors: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nurses with a strong professional self-concept tend to exhibit a positive mindset and strong work engagement, delivering high-quality patient care. Although numerous quantitative studies have examined the factors impacting professional self-concept, there remains a limited exploration of these factors from the perspective of nurses themselves.

METHODS

This qualitative descriptive study uses the PERMA theory and Social Cognitive Theory as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurses from six public hospitals in China. The data were analyzed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches.

RESULTS

Nurses' understanding of professional self-concept could be divided into four categories: professional identity, competence, care, and knowledge. Factors influencing nurses' professional self-concept were categorized into eight subthemes in three domains: (1) personal factors, including psychological qualities and attitude towards the nursing profession; (2) occupational-related behavioral factors, including role-oriented behavior and knowledge-oriented behavior; and (3) work environment and external factors, including external evaluation and perceptions of nurses, time allocation, nursing work tasks, work atmosphere, school education, and perceived supports.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that, although nurses had different personal experiences, their perceptions of professional self-concept were similar. Nurses' professional self-concept is a multidimensional concept and involves various factors, such as personality, work-related characteristics, environment, and family. To thrive in a nursing career, nurses must discern the factors that can enhance or hinder their professional self-concept. By identifying and adjusting these factors, personalized support and positive interventions can be tailored to meet nurses' specific needs, which ultimately nurtures their professional development.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was registered on December 14, 2022, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200066699) as part of our ongoing study.

Transition shock, future time perspective, professional self-concept, and professional identity among nursing interns: A cross-sectional study

Background

Transition shock is prevalent among nursing interns. Future time perspective helps nursing interns learn and work more effectively and improve their problem-solving skills. Professional self-concept and professional identity play an important central and driving role in nursing interns' career choices and career development. However, the mechanism by which future time perspective, professional self-concept and professional identity are linked to transition shock among nursing interns remains unknown.

Objectives

We assess the degree of transition shock experienced by nursing interns and investigate the connections among transition shock, future-focused viewpoint, professional identity, and professional self-concept.

Design

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted.

Setting

Eight hospitals in Hunan Province, China were included in the study.

Participants

Nursing interns at the studied hospital participated in the study.

Methods

A total of 1090 nursing interns [929 female, 161 male] were recruited from eight hospitals. Data on transition shock, future time perspective, professional self-concept and professional identity among nursing interns were collected using questionnaires from 30 May to June 15, 2022.

Results

On a 4-point rating scale, the participants' felt transition shock had a mean overall score of 2.39 (SD = 0.52). The dimension with the highest score was overwhelming workload (mean = 2.74, SD = 0.58), while the dimension with the lowest score was incongruity between work and personal life (mean = 2.16, SD = 0.70).Professional identity was statistically significantly correlated with transition shock (r = -0.198, p < 0.01). The preferred level of nursing (β = 0.354, p < 00.01), professional self-concept (β = 0.226, p < 00.01), professional identity (β = -0.2576, p < 00.01) and future time perspective (β = 0.119, p < 00.01) were predictors of transition shock.

Conclusions

The development of nursing interns' sense of professional identity and future time perspective should be enhanced during both the education phase and clinical placement to help nursing interns overcome the experience of transition shock.

Educating the nurses of tomorrow: exploring first-year nursing students' reflections on a one-week senior peer-mentor supervised inspiration practice in nursing homes

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, the healthcare system stresses a severe deficit of nurses because of elevated levels of work-induced stress, burnout and turnover rates, as well as the ageing of the nursing workforce. The diminishing number of nursing students opting for a career in nursing older people has exacerbated this shortage. A determining factor in the choice of a career within the field of residential care for nursing students is educational institutions offering students learning opportunities with positive learning experiences. Therefore, educational institutions must develop programmes that employ student active learning methods during clinical periods. Although much focus has been given to the development of new educational programs, insufficient consideration has been given to the value of peer mentoring and students' interactions during the clinical placement at nursing homes. The aim of the present study is to explore first-year nursing students' perceptions and experiences with peer mentoring as an educational model during their inspiration practice week at nursing home.

METHODS

The study employed a qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design. Data collection took place in October 2022 using focus group interviews. A total of 53 students in their first year of the bachelor's programme at the Oslo Metropolitan University participated in eight focus group interviews. The data were analysed following the principles of inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis resulted in one main category, 'Being inspired-keep learning and moving forward', representing first-year nursing students' common perceptions of being mentored by third-year students. The main category is supported by two categories: 'Closeness to the mentor' and 'Confidence in mentors' professional knowledge and teaching and supervision methods', which are interpreted as the drivers that enabled first-year students to learn more about nurses' roles and responsibilities in the nursing home.

CONCLUSION

Mentorship enhances the learning transfer from third-year nursing students over to first-year nursing students by providing them with real-world exposure and guidance from their more experienced peers. This hands-on approach allows them to bridge the gap between theory and practice more effectively, boosting first-year nursing students' confidence and competence in nursing and caring for older people living in nursing homes.

Literature review of the research on nursing students' professional self-concept

OBJECTIVE

To understand the current situation and progress of nursing students' professional self-concept, this review aimed to perform a general analysis of research related to the connotation of professional self-concept, measurement tools, influencing factors, effects, and intervention experiments.

METHODS

Three databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI) were searched for relevant articles. Research articles that met specific criteria were included, with identified articles initially screened by title and keyword. Then the abstracts were screened for relevance, and the full text was read for validation before inclusion. Descriptive analysis was performed with relevant findings from data retrieved from various sources.

RESULTS

Finally, 54 articles that met the criteria were included, which organised the connotation of self-concept of nursing speciality, and introduced six measurement scales, such as Professional Self-Concept of Nurses Instrument and Nurse's Self-Concept Questionnaire. A total of 16 investigations on influencing factors were described, and the results showed that there were internal individual and external environmental factors. The professional self-concept was formed by analysing both factors. This paper described 17 effect surveys and found that professional self-concept had an important impact on students' mental health, academic performance, and professional values, and so on. Eight intervention experiments including attribution training and hierarchical teaching were evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

Research articles on the professional self-concept included in this review were rich. These articles clarified the basic connotation of the concept, developed relatively mature measurement tools, found many influencing factors and effects, and proposed effective intervention strategies. They were of great value for understanding the professional self-concept and could provide a reference for scholars to conduct relevant research and practice. It also presents research prospects in this field, aiming to inspire future research.

Development and Validation of a Clinical Practicum Transition Shock Scale (CPT-Shock) for Korean Nursing Students

Clinical practice is an important educational tool for nursing students, and their emotions during clinical practice should be accurately understood. This study aimed to develop and verify the validity and reliability of a clinical practicum transition shock scale (CPT-shock) to measure Korean nursing students' emotional responses when transitioning from a theoretical learning process to clinical practice. This research design was a methodological study and the content, construct, criterion validity, and reliability of the items were verified. Content validity was evaluated by seven experts. The preliminary survey was conducted on 24 nursing students, and the factor analysis was conducted on 331 nursing students in various regions of Korea. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the model fit (χ2/df = 1.741, GFI = 0.930, AGFI = 0.902, NFI = 0.869, TLI = 0.923, CFI = 0.938, RMR = 0.035, RMSEA = 0.047) and established discrimination and convergence validity. Positive and negative correlations were found with existing transition shock (r = 0.779) and clinical practice adaptation (r = -0.505), respectively (p < 0.001), thus establishing criterion validity. The reliability was good, with a Cronbach's α of 0.85. The clinical practicum transition shock scale reflects nursing students' practice environment and is expected to accurately measure nursing students' unique emotional shock.

Evidencing Enquiry Based Learning: An Innovative Approach to Educating Children and Young People's Nursing Students

This discussion paper gives an overview of an innovative online distance learning pre-registration BSc (Hons) Children and Young People's nursing program underpinned by Enquiry-Based Learning pedagogy. Whilst the program is delivered to all four fields of practice (Adult, Children and Young People, Learning Disability, and Mental Health), in all four nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the focus here is Children and Young People's nursing. Nurse education programs are delivered in accordance with the Standards for Nurse Education developed by the professional nursing body in the UK. This online distance learning curriculum uses a life-course perspective for all fields of nursing. Students develop the general knowledge and skills to care for all people across the life course but as the program progresses, they learn how to care for people within their own field of practice in greater depth. The educational context of the Children and Young People's nursing program highlights that the use of Enquiry-Based Learning can help address some of the challenges faced by Children and Young People's nursing students. A critical evaluation of Enquiry-Based Learning and its use within the curriculum concludes that Enquiry-Based Learning provides Children and Young People's nursing students with the graduate attributes of being able to communicate with infants, children, young people, and their families, adopt critical thinking to clinical settings and have an ability to find, generate, or synthesize their own knowledge in order to lead and manage evidence-based quality care for infants, children, young people, and their families in a variety of care settings and within interprofessional teams.

Transitioning to the clinical research nurse role - A qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported on the important role of the clinical research nurse in clinical studies. Yet, there is no international consensus about the role's competencies and tasks. Furthermore, the literature offers a little description of the career pathway from a ward-based registered nurse to a clinical research nurse. More knowledge about this specific role could benefit the nursing profession as well as increase the quality of clinical research.

AIM

The aim of the study was to explore Swedish registered nurses' experiences transitioning into the clinical research nurse role.

DESIGN

The study had a qualitative design. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Inductive qualitative content analysis was employed.

METHODS

Ten participants (i.e., clinical research nurses) were interviewed in the spring of 2017. A semi-structured interview guide was used to address the transition into the clinical research nurse role, experience working in a new role, experience of ethical dilemmas and experience of organizational and professional issues related to the role. The interviews were analysed inductively using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The registered nurses described experiencing reality shock when they became clinical research nurses; that is, it was a challenging and transforming experience. The main theme, a challenging transition, was developed from the four subthemes highlighting that it defied their previous nursing role. They experienced an unclear professional identity, extended professional mandate, increased professional status and growing ethical consciousness in their new role.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight that registered nurses who became clinical research nurses had needs that were both distinct from and overlapped with those of their former professional role as registered nurses. To avoid reality shocks, the development of clear competence pathways for nurses to become clinical research nurses, including introduction, mentorship and continued support, is necessary. Making their professional title more homogeneous, nationally and internationally, would facilitate role identification and comparisons in research.

Associated factors of professional identity among nursing undergraduates during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

Professional identity plays an important role in the long-term development of nurses, and it will change when public health emergency occurs. The objective of this study is to investigate the factors associated with the professional identity of nursing undergraduates in the epidemic of COVID-19.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design with convenience sampling was used. A total of 3,875 nursing undergraduates were recruited from seven universities across China from March to April 2020. A general information questionnaire was used to collect students’ information, and the Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students was used to survey their professional identity during the early and later stages of the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Results

The score of professional identity in the later stage (59.49 ± 12.41) was higher than that in the early stage (56.96 ± 12.61). The stepwise regression indicated that several factors were associated with professional identity, including gender, residential area, major, impact of the epidemic on intention to work after graduation, reasons for choosing nursing major and students’ scores of professional identity in early stage.

Conclusions

Nursing educators can utilize the positive impact of responding to public health emergencies to increase the professional identity of students. Meanwhile, educators should give those students with lower professional identity more targeted education to cultivate their professional identity after the occurrence of public health emergencies.