Cultivating inclusive learning environments that foster nursing education program resiliency during the Covid-19 pandemic

International graduate entry nursing students: A qualitative study on engagement

AIM

This study aims to elicit graduate entry nursing students' views on factors that enable and constrain their learning engagement.

BACKGROUND

Learning engagement has been associated with student retention/attrition and the achievement of learning confidence and success. While all students are subject to challenges that affect their learning engagement, those experienced by international students who are learning in a foreign and unfamiliar context are of particular concern to academics. An understanding of international graduate entry nursing students' perspectives on factors that enable and constrain their engagement can inform development of learning and teaching strategies that are more responsive to the needs of this group of students and can support their learning achievement.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design conducted in one Australian multi campus university School of Nursing. Participants included first and second-year international students enrolled in a graduate entry Master of Nursing course.

METHODS

Data, including demographic information, was collected via a theoretically informed online survey consisting of a Likert scale and open- ended questions. This study reports participant responses to open ended questions included in the survey. A thematic analysis was used to interpret findings.

FINDINGS

Analysis identified participants' perspectives on factors that influenced their learning engagement in four theme areas: 1) Availability of study support resources, 2) Opportunities for social interaction, 3) Opportunities to build a sense of belonging, and 4) Constraints on development of a sense of engagement. Opportunities for social engagement emerged as a dominant finding across all themes.

CONCLUSION

This research, which focused on international students' perspectives on learning engagement, contributed to existing knowledge on student engagement in higher education graduate entry nursing courses. Opportunities for social interaction within and beyond formal course learning experiences were valued by students and identified as key to their learning engagement. These findings have implications for academics and student support services who together, can influence the context of students learning to better meet their engagement needs.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Comprehensive Predictor Scores as Proxy for the NCLEX-RN

BACKGROUND

Research is needed to examine whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected nursing students' NCLEX-RN pass rate. A decline in the NCLEX-RN pass rate would be detrimental to the nursing workforce, the nursing shortage, and nursing educational programs. This quantitative comparative study analyzed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students' Comprehensive Predictor scores as a proxy for the NCLEX-RN.

METHOD

An independent t test was conducted to test for a difference in Comprehensive Predictor scores of nursing students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in Comprehensive Predictor scores before and during the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Because there was no significant change in nursing students' pass rate on the Comprehensive Predictor as a proxy for the NCLEX-RN during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of new graduate nurses entering clinical practice is expected to remain the same as pre-pandemic levels. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(11):638-641.].

Initial outcomes and lessons learned from implementation of an online diversity & inclusion community

BACKGROUND

There is an opportunity to build online communities and digitize inclusive excellence such that all students, staff, and faculty can benefit. However, literature illustrating actionable strategies for creating online communities and mitigating barriers related to engagement is limited.

PURPOSE

We evaluated the feasibility, functionality, and usage of a college of nursing's (CON) online diversity and inclusion communication platform (i.e., D&I Community).

METHODS

From survey and college-wide discussion, we found that CON members are interested in employing opportunities for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discussions and engaging with DEI resources, but lack of time, competing priorities, and lack of awareness of the D&I Community were barriers to participation.

DISCUSSION

We are prepared to modify processes to improve engagement and promote a sense of belonging for all CON members.

CONCLUSION

Implementation and sustainability of this D&I Community require continual resource investment. Scalability can be considered once processes have been fully refined.

Ways that nursing home nursing staff build resilience: a phenomenographic approach

Background

Resilience has been studied as an effective concept in nursing that acts as a protective factor which aids in overcoming difficult situations and related mental problems. With the recent increase in demand for nursing homes, nursing home nursing staff are facing a variety of stresses and psychological burdens. Improving resilience has been suggested as one way to deal with the difficulties, such as stress, exhaustion, and burnout, that nursing home nursing staff are experiencing. In order to provide successful education aimed at improving such resilience, it is very important to understand how to perceive experience from the learner’s point of view.

Aim

The study’s aim is to identify the ways that nursing home nursing staff build resilience.

Method

This study used phenomenography, a methodology for exploring the relationship between subject and phenomenon. From January 15, 2022 to February 20, 2022, data collection was undertaken at three nursing homes located in the Republic of Korea. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 nursing staff members in NHs and a data analysis that strictly followed the 7-step analysis process of phenomenography.

Results

Eight categories were derived. The eight categories were then divided into two groups of four representing perception and strategy. Perception included four categories: ‘grasping the situation’, ‘thinking about one’s responsibility for the resident and personal values’, ‘considering one’s strength’ and ‘thinking of an improved self’. Strategy included four categories: ‘evaluation of oneself and one’s environment’, ‘taking care of oneself’, ‘finding concrete ways to manage the problem’ and ‘self-development for growth’. Perception had three levels of awareness, valuing and assuring, while strategy had three levels of identifying, introspecting and concretizing.

Conclusion

This study provides insight into how individual nursing staff build resilience, a complex and subjective concept. It provides a foundation for future resilience education of nursing home nursing staff and suggests future educational intervention development directions.