Inter-professional nursing education and the roles of swift trust, interaction behaviors, and creativity: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Effects of integration interdisciplinary learning on student learning outcomes and healthcare-giving competence: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Interdisciplinary collaboration is known to foster professional innovation and enhance student learning across different domains. However, the research on the effectiveness of integration of interdisciplinary learning in pediatric nursing education is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of integrating game-based learning, an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, into pediatric nursing education's play courses.

METHODS

We used a mixed methods study with pre-test/post-test quantitative analyses and a descriptive qualitative analysis of students' reflection journals. Data were collected between August 2019 and July 2020 to gauge course effectiveness. Quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using a t-test, correlation, and regression analysis. Qualitative data using students' reflective journals were collected and analyzed using content analysis. One hundred and three second-year nursing students enrolled in a four-year nursing program. Nursing students attended classes in university classrooms and served learning in a kindergarten or hospital in Northern Taiwan.

RESULTS

The subscales of Students' Learning Outcome in knowledge, abilities, and attitudes showed significantly higher mean post-test scores compared to pre-test scores: 26.15 (SD = 3.35) vs. 16.82 (SD = 4.49), p < .001; 18.03 (SD = 2.13) vs. 11.43 (SD = 2.95), p < .001; and 12.90 (SD = 2.12) vs. 8.72 (SD = 2.52), p < .001. Furthermore, scores on the Service-Learning Abilities Scale indicated a significant increase in communication, problem-solving, knowledge application, and cross-cultural competence. Integrating instruction to improve problem-solving skills and knowledge application predicts student learning outcomes. Qualitative findings revealed nursing students' reflections on integrating different learning areas, communication, problem-solving, and practical knowledge skills.

CONCLUSIONS

Integration of interdisciplinary learning effectively stimulates learning among nursing students and enhances their knowledge, abilities, and attitudes toward therapeutic play, benefiting children's health. Our findings demonstrate that integration of interdisciplinary learning significantly enhances nursing students' healthcare-giving competence, particularly in communication, problem-solving, knowledge application, and cross-cultural competence as measured by the Service-Learning Scale. Integrating social service with integration of interdisciplinary learning exposes nursing students to diverse challenges and needs, thereby enhancing their communication skills, knowledge application, and problem-solving abilities. Nursing students can blend knowledge and skills through integrated learning, which is crucial for nursing career preparation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

N/A. It was a survey on educational activities.

Team interaction behaviors correlates with team creativity among nursing students: Canonical correlation and moderation analyses

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have indicated team members' interaction behaviors may predict creativity among nursing students.

METHODS

This study investigated the correlation between interaction behaviors and creativity, both individual- and team-level, among nursing students. In this cross-sectional quantitative study, data were obtained from self-reported questionnaires. Individual creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking scale; the perceived team interaction behavior and team creativity were assessed using validated instruments. Canonical correlation analysis was conducted to determine the overall correlation between interaction behaviors, and creativity, and the moderating effect of female proportion dominance was also examined.

RESULTS

A total of 164 nursing students (84.1% female) arranged into 14 teams were included in this study. Canonical correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between interaction behaviors and creativity (correlation = 0.88). All dimensions of interactive behaviors were positively related to creativity dimensions. A stronger correlation to team creativity (correlation = 1) was found compared to individual creativity (correlation = 0.07). This study demonstrated that individual interactive behaviors including spontaneous communication and helping behavior predicted high team creativity.

CONCLUSIONS

This insight may be valuable for nursing education programs seeking to foster creativity and effective teamwork. The potential moderating effect of female proportions on team interaction behaviors and creativity should be investigated further.

How to choose a preceptor: aspects to consider based on a grounded theory study

BACKGROUND

Nurses in clinical practice settings share responsibility with academy teachers in the education of nursing students in clinical teaching. This dynamic is essential for the students' learning and their skill development. During preceptorship, the nurse has to mobilize the available resources to act competently and effectively. The purpose of this article is to identify the aspects that should be considered when selecting a nurse preceptor.

METHODS

A qualitative study was carried out based on Grounded Theory using Strauss and Corbin's version. The study took place in a medicine ward and a surgery ward of a hospital in the Lisbon metropolitan area. The authors conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews with nurses who were at different stages of Benner's Professional Development Model and with different outlooks on nursing preceptorship. The initial script was reorganized after the pilot test. It was also adjusted after the first exploratory interviews and after the in-depth interviews in order to reflect the interviewees' work experience and outlooks on preceptorship. The interviews had an average duration of 45 min and were audio recorded. Theoretical sampling was conducted considering the needs identified in data coding until we reached theoretical saturation. Data analysis began after the first interview, first by open coding, followed by axial and selective coding, always in a logic of constant comparison with theory. Ethical principles, scientific integrity and methodological rigour were ensured throughout the study.

RESULTS

Two categories emerged that were supported by all nurses: skills and individual characteristics. The former includes communication skills, relational skills, reflective skills, technical-scientific skills, and emotional skills, while the latter includes perceptiveness, responsibility, motivation, and professional initiative.

CONCLUSION

Nurses value both the individual characteristics they possess and the skills they have developed throughout their career. The recognition of the aspects found in this study for the selection of nurse preceptors allows for an informed and reasoned decision making, with a view to the success of the preceptorship and to the improvement of the quality of nursing education.

Investigating the pathways between swift trust and team creativity among nursing student teams in Taiwan: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Considerable theoretical and empirical work indicates that a multitude of factors are associated with team creativity in an organizational context. The complex relationships between the contributors, however, are not well understood in nursing education. This study was to take a process view investigating the pathways from swift trust to creativity via collaborative interactions and to explore whether task conflict would further change the strength of the indirect effect.

METHODS

This study utilized a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive design. Taiwanese nursing students (final n = 629), who enrolled in capstone courses of small interdisciplinary groups collaborating with industrial design students on designing healthcare products, participated in the study. Data were collected from students during 2018 and 2020. Questionnaires assessed their perceptions about teams' swift trust (including cognition- and affect-based), collaborative interactions (including constructive controversy, helping behavior, and spontaneous communication), task conflict, and creativity. SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the proposed moderated mediation model.

RESULTS

Bivariate correlation analysis showed that greater team creativity was associated with increased cognition-based team swift trust and collaborative interactions. Results revealed that collaborative interactions serving as the underlying mechanisms mediating the effect of cognition- and affect-based swift trust on team creativity. Moreover, the indirect effect of collaborative interactions, specifically, spontaneous communication, on linking swift trust to team creativity varied as a function of task conflict. As task conflict decreased, the effect became stronger.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that nursing student teams' spontaneous communication serves as the underlying mechanism in linking the relationship between swift trust and team creativity and that lower task conflict plays a crucial role in enhancing the indirect effect. The proposed pathway could provide guidance for nursing educators to promote creativity outcomes by promoting swift trust and collaborative interactions as well as preventing task conflict for interdisciplinary nursing student teams.

Effectiveness of Interdisciplinary Teaching on Creativity: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Little is known about the effectiveness of Interdisciplinary teaching (IDT) in higher education, particularly for healthcare education in Taiwan. It is vital to determine if IDT could enhance divergent creative thinking and team creativity among nursing students. A quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. Students enrolled in a capstone nursing course for the development of healthcare-related products were divided into two groups. The intervention group (n = 61) was taught creative thinking skills with IDT by faculty. The control group (n = 84) was taught by nursing faculty with traditional teaching. This study found that students who received the IDT intervention scored significantly higher on measures of creative thinking and team creativity compared with students in the control group. These findings suggest integrating IDT from nursing and design faculty into the teaching curriculum to foster students’ creative thinking abilities when formulating interdisciplinary student teams to develop innovative, creative healthcare products.

The Moderating Role of Team Conflict on Teams of Nursing Students

Inter-professional education has become a widespread trend in healthcare education around the world. This study examined whether conflict moderated the correlation between swift trust and creativity for nursing students on teams in inter-professional education courses in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey study with comparative, quantitative analysis was conducted to describe relationships between the studied variables. This study collected self-report data from 270 nursing students who attended interdisciplinary team-based capstone courses, and this study divided them into 54 teams. Each team consisted of five members. The study results showed cognition-based team swift trust had a positive correlation with team creativity. The negative association was revealed between relationship conflict and team creativity. Moderation models demonstrated that relationship conflict (95% C.I. [-0.70, -0.21]) negatively moderated the correlation between cognition-based swift trust and team creativity among nursing student teams. This research found that greater levels of cognition-based swift trust may enhance nursing students' team creativity in inter-professional education courses. However, relationship conflicts may limit the positive outcomes of that association. Nursing educators should incorporate conflict management particularly aiming at relationship conflicts into their interdisciplinary nursing courses to support creative outcomes.

Public Confidence in COVID-19 Prevention and Response in Bangladesh

Community confidence in institutional approaches to emergency management directs how they cooperate and comply with public policy responses. In the context of emerging COVID-19 pandemic risk management, this study aims to assess public confidence in the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and private sector entities for the activities undertaken during preparedness, prevention, and response phases. A survey was conducted with 307 respondents who willingly took part in the study. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the internal reliability and the Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to estimate the mean score difference between the observations. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied in the study. The findings suggest that the participants were highly positive about the GoB efforts to organize and provide PPE for doctors in time as a safeguard against COVID-19 and coordination and informed decision making in relation to facing COVID-19. Overall, the participants showed a lower-level confidence in the preparedness and response measures taken by authorities in Bangladesh. The results explored how the GoB failed to reach the public satisfaction level regarding provision of food and financial support to low income and middle income people. A lack of collaboration and coordination among different inter-GoB and private sectors makes mitigation and recovery process difficult. This research provides a set of policy recommendations for future public health emergency management based on the participants' concerns and suggestions, and a review of consequences of policy responses in the early stage.

Promoting creativity of nursing students in different teaching and learning settings: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Interdisciplinary teaching provides students with multiple perspectives through instruction from faculty and students in other academic areas. Providing interdisciplinary teaching to students in nursing and interdisciplinary programs could help foster collaborations between students in nursing and students in fields such as design or engineering, which could expand students' understanding of the skills required to develop a working prototype.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether there is an effect of interdisciplinary teaching on nursing students' creative thinking abilities.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study of two experimental and one control group with a pre-test/post-test design.

SETTING

The study was conducted between September 2018 and January 2020 in classrooms of a university of science and technology in Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students (N = 191) enrolled in capstone courses participated in this study. Two groups of students were assigned to the intervention: Group 1, comprised of typical students (n = 80) or Group 2, comprised of students with teaching assistantships (n = 30). The control group (n = 81) was typical students. The intervention groups received instruction from interdisciplinary faculty in nursing and design and creativity training. The control group was taught by nursing faculty only, without creativity training.

METHODS

The Taiwanese version of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Figural (TTCT-F) instrument assessed students' creative thinking abilities at the beginning (pre-test) and end of the 18-week course (post-test). Differences in pre-test/post-test scores between groups were examined with analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

Comparisons between mean total and subscale scores for TTCT-F for the two intervention groups and controls demonstrated only Group 2 students (teaching assistants) had significantly higher scores than the control group. Teaching assistants also had significantly higher scores than Group 1.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest interdisciplinary teaching benefited creative thinking abilities of nursing students holding teaching assistantships. Therefore, it may be more important to first emphasize improvements in academic performance for typical nursing students in Taiwan and then incorporate interdisciplinary teaching into nursing programs to improve creative thinking.

A model to foster and facilitate trust and trusting relationships in the nursing education context

Background

In the nursing education context, the fostering of trust and establishing trusting relationships are important facets of teaching and learning.

Aim

The purpose of the study was to understand trust and trusting relationships in teaching and learning, and to develop a model to foster and facilitate trust and trusting relationships in the nursing education context.

Setting

Two nursing education institutions were purposively sampled that offered a comprehensive programme in nursing.

Methods

A grounded theory study was conducted with the aim to develop a model for trust and trusting relationships in teaching and learning. Purposive, convenience and theoretical sampling of participants were applied. The sample size consisted of 5 educators and 23 students at a university and 9 educators and 37 students at a public nursing education institution. Charmaz’s methods were used for the data analysis. Collection and analysis of data were conducted concurrently.

Results

Data of views from the educators and students on trust were synthesised. Themes identified were: professional relations, expectations of the role players in nursing education, creating a conducive teaching and learning context, and outcomes of lack of trust. From the findings, a substantive model to foster and facilitate trust and trusting relationships in nursing education was developed.

Conclusion

The study contributed to understanding trust in nursing education. Recommendations focus on fostering and facilitating self-trust and trusting relationships and also on how the model could be implemented in nursing education.

Contribution

Fostering and facilitating trust and trusting relationships in the nursing education context will enhance a trusting culture and contribute to the quality of teaching and learning.

Effect of interdisciplinary teaching on collaborative interactions among nursing student teams in Taiwan: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Empirical research has demonstrated the academic, collaborative, and organizational benefits of Interdisciplinary Teaching. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of Interdisciplinary Teaching in higher education, particular in healthcare education in Taiwan. In addition, there is no consensus on how the effectiveness of this form of teaching should be evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of Interdisciplinary Teaching on collaborative interactions for teams of nursing students.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study design employed pretest-posttest scores on measures of team collaboration to compare an Interdisciplinary Teaching intervention with a control group.

SETTING

Capstone courses at two universities of science and technology in Taiwan, which focused on creating patentable healthcare-related products.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students (N = 145) enrolled in capstone courses between September 2019 and January 2020 participated in this study. The intervention group (n = 61) received creativity training from interdisciplinary faculty from departments of nursing and design. The control group (n = 84) received traditional teaching from nursing faculty.

METHODS

Data were collected using self-report instruments for team interaction behaviors, swift trust, and conflict at the beginning and end of the 18-week course. Differences between groups were examined with analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, nursing students in teams that received the teaching intervention had significantly better mean post-test scores for team interaction behaviors and the subscale for communication (both p < .05); team swift trust and affective-based trust (p < .001); and lower scores for the team conflict subscale of relationships (p = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest creativity training using Interdisciplinary Teaching benefited collaborative interactions for interactive behaviors and swift trust, and decreased relationship conflict for teams of nursing students. Interdisciplinary Teaching should be integrated into nursing students' curriculum, which could enhance collaborative interactions and improve the ability of student teams to create novel, patentable healthcare products.

Moderating effects of task interdependence on interaction behaviours and creativity for nursing students on interdisciplinary teams

Aims

Nursing students in Taiwan often study in interdisciplinary teams that must create healthcare products. Creativity is imperative for the students’ success, but studies have not explored the relational precursors to team creativity in nursing education. Therefore, the relationship was examined between task interdependence, interaction behaviours (constructive controversy, helping behaviours and spontaneous communication) and creativity for nursing students on interdisciplinary teams in Taiwan to investigate whether high task interdependence moderates the correlations between interaction behaviours and creativity.

Design

Descriptive, cross‐sectional, quantitative study.

Methods

Participants were nursing students (N = 99) attending interdisciplinary capstone courses in 2‐ or 4‐year nursing programmes at a university for science and technology in Taiwan. Self‐report questionnaires were used to collect the students’ demographics and perceptions of their teams’ task interdependence, interaction behaviours and creativity between January 2018 and January 2019. Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed variable associations. SPSS PROCESS macro displayed moderating effects.

Results

Task interdependence had significant positive correlations with all three interaction behaviours and team creativity. Each interaction behaviour also had significant positive correlations with team creativity. High task interdependence negatively moderated the relationships between team creativity and (a) constructive controversy, and (b) spontaneous communication, but not (c) helping behaviours.

Conclusion

The empirically validated moderation model and study results suggest that nursing educators can foster creativity in their students by encouraging task interdependence and helping behaviours, and teaching students to build constructive controversy and spontaneous communication into their collaborative plans.

Impact

In Taiwan, nursing students must demonstrate creativity in interdisciplinary capstone courses. Their ability to do so requires them to cooperate with students in other disciplines who have unique skills or knowledge. This study provides insights into the relational factors that may improve creativity for nursing students on interdisciplinary teams.

Towards Employee Creativity in the Healthcare Sector: Investigating the Role of Polychronicity, Job Engagement, and Functional Flexibility

Given the importance of individual level creativity, this paper investigates the influence of employee polychronicity on employee creativity among nurses in the healthcare sector. The current research also tests how job engagement acts as a mediator between employees' polychronicity and creativity. Finally, thepaper analyzes the role of functional flexibility as a moderator that enhances the influence of polychronicity on employee creativity. The current paper presents empirical research, and cross-sectional data were gathered from 457 nurses (Subordinate Staff) and 127 doctors (Supervisors) working in 37DHQ (District Head Quarters) hospitals in Pakistan. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple-regression techniques were applied for analyzing the collected data. The findings proved that the nurses' polychronic attitude increases their creativity. Findings revealed that job commitment plays a mediating role between polychronicity and employee creativity. The findings proved that functional flexibility enhances the link between polychronicity and creativity. This research has contributed to both theory and managerial practice about the interplay of polychronicity, creativity, job engagement, and functional flexibility among nurses. The management in practice should focus on employee attitude, i.e., polychronicity, for improving their creativeness.