Nursing students' perception of academic support in the practicum: Development of a reliable and valid measurement instrument

Relationship between emotional intelligence and academic support perception among nursing interns: The moderating role of bullying behaviors in nursing education

AIM

This study aims to investigate the status of academic support perception among nursing interns and explore the correlation between academic support perception, emotional intelligence, and bullying behaviors in nursing education, especially the moderating role of bullying behavior on the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic support perception.

BACKGROUND

Academic support perception is closely related to the nursing interns' mental health and academic performance. To some extent, it can reflect nursing interns' satisfaction and happiness during their internship, affecting their motivation to continue their studies. However, little is known about the nursing interns' academic support perception in China.

METHODS

A total of 1020 nursing interns participated in this study. A sociodemographic information questionnaire, Bullying Behaviors in Nursing Education Scale, Wong and Law's Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Academic Support in the Practicum Scale were used to collect data.

FINDINGS

Bullying behaviors and emotional intelligence were significantly associated with nursing interns' academic support perception. In addition, bullying behaviors in nursing education moderated the association between emotional intelligence and academic support perception.

DISCUSSION

Nursing interns who possess high emotional intelligence and experience less bullying in nursing education tend to perceive higher academic support in clinical practice. The positive effects of emotional intelligence on nursing interns' academic support perceptions are contingent on the level of bullying behavior experienced in nursing education. Less bullying behaviors in nursing education enhance the impact of emotional intelligence on academic support perception.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Strategies should be created to promote emotional intelligence and decrease bullying behaviors in nursing education to improve the perception of academic support among nursing interns.

The mediating role of academic support perception in the relationship between emotional intelligence and bullying behaviours in clinical practice: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Bullying behaviours experienced by nursing interns in clinical practice are a considerable and serious concern. Understanding the factors that influence such behaviours in clinical practice is crucial for developing effective preventive measures and fostering a supportive learning environment.

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of bullying behaviours experienced by nursing interns and examine the mediating role of academic support perception in the relationship between emotional intelligence and bullying behaviours in clinical practice.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study that used convenience sampling. A socio-demographic information questionnaire, Bullying Behaviours in Nursing Education Scale, Wong and Law's Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Academic Support in the Practicum Scale were used to collect data from nursing interns (n = 813) at seven tertiary hospitals in Changsha, China. Binary logistic regression and mediating analyses were used to explore the factors influencing bullying behaviours in nursing practice and examine the potential mediating role of academic support perception.

RESULTS

The prevalence of bullying behaviours in clinical practice among 813 nursing interns was 82.7 %. Binary logistic regression analyses indicated that attitude toward the nursing profession, emotional intelligence, and academic support perception were significantly associated with bullying behaviours in clinical practice. Academic support perception (β = 0.375, p < 0.001) played a significant mediating role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and bullying behaviours in clinical practice, accounting for 55.7 % of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Nursing educators and administrators should recognise that improving emotional intelligence and enhancing academic support perception among nursing interns can reduce the occurrence of bullying behaviours in clinical practice.

Refining and adapting the measurement properties of evidence-based practice measures for physiotherapy students

OBJECTIVE

There is a lack of reliable and valid evidence-based practice (EBP) measures for physiotherapy students. This study validated EBP-student (EBP-S) measures for physiotherapy students.

METHODS

EBP measures developed from previous research were cross-culturally validated for use by physiotherapy students. The adapted EBP-S consisted of six measures: use of EBP, EBP activities, EBP knowledge, self-efficacy for EBP, attitudes towards EBP, and perceptions of the teaching and assessment of EBP in the curriculum. The final version was completed by physiotherapy students (n = 335). The psychometric properties for each EBP-S measure were estimated, including construct validity using Rasch model, internal consistency reliability using person separation index (PSI), test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and differential item functioning (DIF).

RESULTS

Two formative measures (use of EBP and EBP activities) were only linguistically modified for use with students. A Rasch model was applied to the other four reflective measures. For knowledge, 55% (6/11) items fit the Rasch model with chi-square fit statistic (χ2) = 34.46, p = 0.08; PSI = 0.85. For self-efficacy, 89% (8/9) items fit the Rasch model with χ2 = 25.11, p = 0.80; PSI = 0.89. For attitudes, 62% (8/13) items fit the Rasch model with χ2 = 61.49, p = 0.00; PSI = 0.71. For perception of the teaching and assessment of EBP in the curriculum, 62% (8/13) items fit the Rasch model with χ2 = 80.99, p = 0.45; PSI = 0.92. perception of the teaching and assessment of EBP in the curriculum showed DIF in three items. The ICCs ranged between 0.80 and 0.98.

CONCLUSIONS

The EBP-S measures were validated for physiotherapy students, including the testing of psychometric properties, which were not tested in the original studies. Further refinements should be considered for the use of the EBP-S with other groups of students or if changes are applied to the current curriculum.

Social support for nursing students: A concept analysis study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to analyze the concept of social support in nursing students.

DESIGN

A concept analysis method was used.

DATA SOURCES

Articles on concept analysis, published from 2000 to 2022, were examined. Science Direct, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Google Scholar were searched to identify international articles, and Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, and Database periodical information academic were searched to identify Korean articles. In total, 27 articles were examined.

RESULTS

The following attributes of social support were found: 1) structural (social integration and social support network); 2) educational (academic support and support of a role model); 3) psychosocial (emotional, positive appraisal, and self-esteem supports); and 4) instrumental (informational and material supports). Furthermore, social support was found to have the following antecedents: 1) stress and crisis, 2) personal need, 3) social network, and 4) social climate. The consequences of social support were as follows: 1) improved mental health and 2) quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support among nursing students includes both structural and functional attributes. Structural attributes are social integration and support networks, and functional attributes are educational, psychosocial, and instrumental. Based on the results, we recommend developing a tool to measure social support for nursing students in the future.

Prelicensure Nursing Students’ Reflections on Institutional Response to the 2020 COVID-19 Crisis

The study aimed to describe how prelicensure student nurses perceive academic support and their institutions’ response during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. The shift to online learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of higher education, including pre-licensure nursing students. Prelicensure nursing education is one of the most stressful programs in higher education. In a period of great uncertainty, it becomes essential to explore how prelicensure nursing students perceive academic support from their institutions. A qualitative descriptive design was employed for the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data obtained from 16 semi-structured interviews. Six themes resulted from the data: Disorganization leading to chaos; technology and technical challenges; stress and frustration; am I prepared to be a nurse?; not having money; mental health matters. This study validates the experiences of nursing students. Students’ obstacles during the pandemic should be identified and mitigated to promote learning and academic success.

Development and Validation of the Nursing Students' Rights Awareness Scale in Clinical Practice: A Scale Development Study

Nursing students perform clinical training in a variety of clinical practice fields, so their rights are important. Efforts are needed to accurately identify and measure the awareness of nursing students' rights. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of nursing students' rights awareness scale. The study procedure was carried out in four stages: the concept analysis, item development, scale development, and scale evaluation stage. First, in the concept analysis stage, the attributes of the concept were derived. Second, in the item development stage, preliminary items were derived, and the content validity was verified. Third, in the scale development stage, a preliminary and main survey were conducted, and item reduction was implemented. Fourth, in the scale evaluation stage, construct validity and reliability were verified. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0, and item analysis was conducted using skewness, kurtosis, and item-total correlation scores. The construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity, and divergent validity. The reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. The final version of the scale was tested on 240 nursing students from three cities in South Korea. From the construct validity, three factors and 14 items were selected. The factors included "the rights to be protected, cared for, supported, and respected" (eight items), "the rights to be recognized as a member of a nursing team" (three items), and "the rights to learn" (three questions). The reliability of the scale was also verified. Through this study, the scale was developed to identify the rights of nursing students in clinical practice. The implication of this study is that it has laid the foundation for measuring the rights of nursing students applicable in clinical settings for the first time. The limitation of this study is that data were collected in some regions. Therefore, it is necessary to verify the validity and reliability of the scale in various cultures.

Applying the social cognitive model of well-being in the nursing clinical practicum: A structural equation modeling analysis with a Spanish student's sample

BACKGROUND

Clinical education, understanding as practicum, plays a key role in nursing education but has been identified as the most challenging and stressful experience for nursing students. Promoting student satisfaction and well-being during clinical practice has a significant effect on learning outcomes, retention and attrition.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the predictive power of a social cognitive model of wellbeing when applied to explain academic satisfaction in the clinical practicum and overall life satisfaction of Spanish nursing students.

DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted at four Spanish nursing schools in a 586 student's sample.

METHODS

Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire that included measures of academic support, self-efficacy, goal progress, academic satisfaction, life satisfaction and trait positive affect. The research model was evaluated through structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The proposed model fit well in the full sample and accounted for substantial portions of the variance in academic (50%) and life satisfaction (21%). Most of the hypotheses formulated were verified. The model was invariant across academic year.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated global support for the social cognitive model of academic satisfaction as a guide for developing interventions to facilitate the positive adjustment and wellbeing of nursing students in the practicum.

The escape room as evaluation method: A qualitative study of nursing students' experiences

Purpose: Gamification or learning using game elements is a process that seeks to capture students' interest. One of the most popular games in recent years is the Escape Room, but the study of its use in education and with health professionals is still limited. The aim of this study was to find out the perceptions and experiences of final year nursing students in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) by means of an Escape Room.Methods: In January 2019, 9 focus groups (FG) were held, with a total of 95 final year nursing students. We applied a qualitative content analysis approach and ATLAS.ti version 8 was used for data analysis.Results: The data revealed 3 main themes and 8 sub-themes. The three main themes, which were mapped to the conceptual framework, were student learning outcomes, emotional impact on students and conclusions on the serious games experience. Both the main themes and the sub-themes were illustrated using representative quotes from the participants.Conclusions: These results can help to apply these methodologies, such as the Escape Room, alongside other pre-existing ones, complementing the way in which students are assessed and the development of important nursing skills, such as teamwork and communication.

[Concept Analysis of Social Support of Nursing Students Using a Hybrid Model]

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of social support of nursing students using a hybrid model and to derive a definition and attributes of social support through theoretical, fieldwork, and final analysis stages.

METHODS

Twenty-nine studies were analyzed in the theoretical stage. Seventeen in-depth interviews were conducted with nursing students in the fieldwork stage. In the final analysis stage, the concept of social support was defined and the attributes were derived by integrating the theoretical and fieldwork stages.

RESULTS

The attributes of social support of nursing students identified in the final analysis consisted of two dimensions and eight attributes. The two dimensions were structural and functional support. The eight attributes were social network, educational, emotional, informational, economic, positive evaluation, self-esteem support, and support by providing a role model provision. The structural dimension included the social network support attribute. The functional dimension included the remaining seven attributes. Educational support and support by providing of a role model provision were newly derived attributes that reflected specific characteristics of nursing students.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of this study, we suggest that researchers should attempt to develop a scale to measure the social support of nursing students.