Defining and assessing the scholarship of teaching in nursing

Clinical competence and self-efficacy of Lebanese and Saudi nursing students participating in simulation-based learning in nursing education

BACKGROUND

Simulation-based learning is a modern educational approach that allows students to recognize and practice what they've learned. Self-efficacy and perceived clinical competence allow nursing students to attain higher levels of performance and consequently higher quality of rendered care.

METHODS

This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional research design recruiting 302 Lebanese and Saudi senior nursing students.

RESULTS

The results have displayed moderately high levels of self-efficacy and perceived clinical competence among students who took part in simulation-based learning, where Saudi students presented higher perceived competence. A significant correlation was found between the variables where self-efficacy was a predictor of perceived clinical competence.

CONCLUSIONS

Lebanese and Saudi nursing seniors students who took part in simulation-based learning experiences had notable scores of self-efficacy and clinical competence.

An innovative teaching model in an academic-practice partnership for a Doctor of Nursing Practice program

Teaching innovations in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are essential for preparing practitioners for role responsibilities. The purpose of this paper is to describe a teaching model implemented in a public-private academic-practice partnership in which DNP-prepared healthcare organization nursing leaders joined with college of nursing faculty to teach didactic courses in the DNP program. The conceptual framework for this model is organized around Boyer's (1990) principles of the scholarship of teaching, integration, and application, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing definition of scholarship (2018). A logic model evaluation plan of the teaching model includes a description of inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Outcomes include the attainment of short term goals related to student satisfaction and DNP program completion; faculty and peer satisfaction; and administrator perspectives. Future evaluation will include assessment of long-term impact of the teaching model. The teaching model can be replicated in preparing cohorts of students for advanced practice nursing and cultivating the scholarship of teaching, integration and application.

To what extent has doctoral (PhD) education supported academic nurse educators in their teaching roles: an integrative review

Background

A doctoral degree, either a PhD or equivalent, is the academic credential required for an academic nurse educator position in a university setting; however, the lack of formal teaching courses in doctoral programs contradict the belief that these graduates are proficient in teaching. As a result, many PhD prepared individuals are not ready to meet the demands of teaching.

Methods

An integrative literature review was undertaken. Four electronic databases were searched including the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and ProQuest. Date range and type of peer-reviewed literature was not specified.

Results

Conditions and factors that influenced or impacted on academic nurse educators’ roles and continue to perpetuate insufficient pedagogical preparation include the requirement of a research focused PhD, lack of mentorship in doctoral programs and the influence of epistemic cultures (including institutional emphasis and reward system). Other factors that have impacted the academic nurse educator’s role are society’s demand for highly educated nurses that have increased the required credential, the assumption that all nurses are considered natural teachers, and a lack of consensus on the practice of the scholarship of teaching.

Conclusions

Despite recommendations from nursing licensing bodies and a major US national nursing education study, little has been done to address the issue of formal pedagogical preparation in doctoral (PhD) nursing programs. There is an expectation of academic nurse educators to deliver quality nursing education yet, have very little or no formal pedagogical preparation for this role. While PhD programs remain research-intensive, the PhD degree remains a requirement for a role in which teaching is the major responsibility.

The leadership role of nurse educators in mental health nursing

Leadership behaviors and actions influence others to act, and leadership in clinical practice is an important mediator influencing patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Indeed, positive clinical leadership has been positioned as a crucial element for transformation of health care services and has led to the development of the Practice Doctorate Movement in the United States. Nurse educators in health care have a vital leadership role as clinical experts, role models, mentors, change agents, and supporters of quality projects. By enacting these leadership attributes, nurse educators ensure a skilled and confident workforce that is focused on optimizing opportunities for students and graduates to integrate theory and practice in the workplace as well as developing more holistic models of care for the consumer. Nurse educators need to be active in supporting staff and students in health care environments and be visible leaders who can drive policy and practice changes and engage in professional forums, research, and scholarship. Although nurse educators have always been a feature of the nursing workplace, there is a paucity of literature on the role of nurse educators as clinical leaders. This discursive article describes the role and attributes of nurse educators with a focus on their role as leaders in mental health nursing. We argue that embracing the leadership role is fundamental to nurse educators and to influencing consumer-focused care in mental health. We also make recommendations for developing the leadership role of nurse educators and provide considerations for further research such as examining the impact of clinical leaders on client, staff, and organizational outcomes.