Impacts of peer tutoring on academic performance of first-year baccalaureate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

Predictors of attrition and program dismissal in a nursing major

BACKGROUND

Increasing the representation of nurses and other health professionals from minority populations is one way to address health disparities. The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing admission criteria that predicted first, second, third semester attrition and program dismissal.

METHOD

A retrospective secondary data analysis was conducted on existing student records spanning from 2016 to 2020 in one BSN program from a Hispanic-serving institution to gain an understanding about program attrition and dismissal. A total of n = 349 student records were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Pre-nursing science GPA, pre-nursing college GPA, and reading ability were found significant predictors for attrition and dismissal, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Aptitudes in the sciences and in reading should be emphasized in pre-nursing to enhance student success in nursing. Findings from this study could inform administrators in postsecondary and in secondary education about establishing infrastructures for at-risk students to better prepare the latter for a nursing major.

The impact of tutoring on nursing students' clinical judgment: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Nurses' lack of clinical judgment often leads to adverse patient outcomes due to failure to recognize clinical deterioration, intervene, and manage complications. Teaching clinical judgment through a nursing process can help nursing students provide safe and competent patient care with improved health outcomes and to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

AIMS

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of tutoring on clinical judgment of undergraduate nursing students utilizing Lasater's Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). This study also compared the clinical judgment of male and female nursing students and students from different semester levels.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental study utilized a single group pretest, posttest design. A convenience sample of n = 40 undergraduate nursing students from the Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health participated in the study. The participants underwent a pretest simulation, four sessions of the Clinical Judgment Model (CJM)-based tutoring, and a posttest simulation.

RESULTS

The posttest clinical judgment scores (35.70 ± 3.6) were significantly different from the pretest scores (25.78 ± 5.20). The tutoring had a significant effect on the clinical judgment of nursing students t(39) = -11.64, n = 40, p < .001, at 95% CI of the mean difference.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Enhancing nursing students' clinical judgment is crucial to provide high-quality, safe patient care with improved health outcomes. The CJM-based tutoring is an effective strategy for developing clinical judgment in nursing students. This new teaching approach can train students to critically think, develop clinical judgment, and prepare for the complex healthcare environment. Therefore, nurse educators should focus on integrating clinical judgment into the prelicensure nursing program curriculum as a priority.

Envisioning the Future of Student Success: Report of the 2022-2023 AACP Student Affairs Standing Committee

Over the past several years, traditional metrics have indicated declining student success within colleges and schools of pharmacy. Though students may be less well-prepared for professional school than in years past, once candidates are admitted to our institutions, we have a responsibility to effectively support their progression through the program. The 2022-2023 Student Affairs Committee was convened to evaluate and advance the construct of student success within Doctor of Pharmacy programs. The Student Affairs Committee was charged with identifying environmental factors affecting the ability of pharmacy students to be successful; determining how colleges and schools of pharmacy are currently meeting needs related to student progress; conducting a literature review to determine what academic support measures minimize attrition; and developing innovative suggestions and recommendations that better support student success. To accomplish this work, we conducted an extensive literature review and synthesis of evidence, engaged in professional networking across the Academy, and administered a wide-ranging student success survey to all colleges and schools of pharmacy. In this report, we explore the complex and interacting systems that affect learning behavior and academic success and offer a novel, comprehensive description of how the Academy is currently responding to challenges of academic and student success. Additionally, we envision the future of student success, offering 7 recommendations to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and 5 suggestions to members of the Academy to advance this vision.

Using peer feedback to enhance nursing students’ reflective abilities, clinical competencies, and sense of empowerment: a mixed-methods study

AIM

To assess the use of a framework to provide structured peer feedback and compare the effects of peer video feedback, peer verbal feedback versus faculty feedback on nursing students and peer tutors' learning outcomes and experiences BACKGROUND: Peer feedback has been utilized widely in health professions education to fill the gap for timely feedback, but some students were concerned with its quality, leading to perceptions that peer feedback may not be useful.

DESIGN

Sequential explanatory mixed-methods study METHODS: The study took place from January to February 2022. In phase 1, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. First-year nursing students (n = 164) were allocated to peer video feedback, peer verbal feedback or faculty feedback arms. Senior nursing students (n = 69) were recruited to be peer tutors or the control group. The Groningen Reflective Ability Scale was used by first-year students to assess their reflective abilities, while the Simulation-based Assessment Tool was used by peer or faculty tutors to evaluate nursing students' clinical competence of a nursing skill during the simulation. The Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare-Student Version was used by students to assess their peer/faculty tutors' feedback quality. Senior students' empowerment levels were measured using the Qualities of an Empowered Nurse scale. In phase 2, six semi-structured focus group discussions with peer tutors (n = 29) were conducted and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Peer video feedback and peer verbal feedback significantly improved students' reflective abilities but not in the faculty feedback arm. Students' clinical competence in a technical nursing skill significantly improved in all three arms. Improvements were significantly larger in those receiving peer video feedback and peer verbal feedback than faculty feedback, with no significant differences between peer video feedback and peer verbal feedback. Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare-Student Version scores were not significantly different among the 3 arms. Empowerment levels of peer tutors significantly improved after providing peer feedback but not those in the control group. Seven themes were generated from the focus group discussions.

CONCLUSIONS

Although peer video feedback and peer verbal feedback were similarly effective in improving clinical competencies, peer video feedback was more time-consuming and stressful to students. The use of structured peer feedback improved peer tutors' feedback practices and were comparable to quality of faculty feedback. It also significantly increased their sense of empowerment. Peer feedback was widely supported by peer tutors who agreed that it should supplement faculty teaching.

Predictors of attitudes towards nursing profession and peer caring behaviors of the nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Professionalization in nursing is interconnected with the acceptance and encouragement of professional role model manners and caring approaches among the nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the predictors of attitudes towards nursing profession and peer caring behaviors of the nursing students.

DESIGN

A single-centered, observational, cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

A university's faculty of health sciences nursing department in Ankara, Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

The population of the study comprised of second and fourth year nursing students (N = 470). The study was completed with 390 students.

METHODS

The data were collected via a questionnaire, the Attitude Scale for Nursing Profession (ASNP), and the Peer Caring Measurement (PCM) between September and October 2019. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to predict the data (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

The mean age of the students was 20.41 (SD = 1.34) and 85.1 % of them were female. The total ASNP mean score was found 160.10 (SD = 15.59). The mean score of the ASNP were higher in females, those whose income was equal or more than expense, those who preferred nursing school willingly, studying nursing pleasantly, those who were eager to work as a nurse, and those who planned to advance in nursing career. The total PCM mean score was 42.10 (SD = 10.45). It was higher in second year students, those whose income was equal or more than expense, and those who planned to advance in nursing career. There was a positively moderate correlation between the ASNP and the PCM total scores (r = 0.314, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Attitudes of the nursing students towards profession and their peer caring behaviors were highly positive. Improving the attitudes of the nursing students towards the profession via enhancing their peer caring behaviors, novel approaches, such as internship and mentorship, should be implemented into the nursing education.

Nursing students' experience of online peer tutoring based on the grow model: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

With the drastic change in the nursing education environment due to the coronavirus pandemic, several attempts have been made in Korea to help nursing students better adapt to the new learning environment.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore nursing students' experience of online peer tutoring based on the Goal-Reality-Options-Will (GROW) model.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using content analysis.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted in the department of nursing at two universities in South Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants were 14 nursing students who participated as tutors and tutees in the online peer tutoring.

METHODS

Three focus group interviews were conducted with the 14 students. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Three categories and nine subcategories were extracted. Online peer tutoring allowed participants to learn using a new approach, promoted their efficiency of studying in multiple aspects, and encouraged them to persevere and advance in academics, thus proving its usefulness as an auxiliary strategy to enhance the efficiency of online learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Structured online peer tutoring can be a useful tool for enhancing the effectiveness of non-face-to-face education for nursing students. This study's results can serve as meaningful basic data for planning and composing learning activities optimized for the future online nursing education environment.