Staff Nurses' Perception of Their Role in a Dedicated Education Unit Within the Intensive Care Unit

Characteristics and processes of the dedicated education unit practice education model for undergraduate nursing students: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to review literature related to the dedicated education unit practice education model for undergraduate nursing students, and identify common characteristics and processes for implementing and sustaining this model.

INTRODUCTION

Although practice education is central to undergraduate nursing education, evidence-informed practices for learning in the clinical setting remain elusive. Changes to health care over the past decades related to the role and scope of practice for nurses, gradual shifts to community- and population-based care delivery, and expectations for interprofessional practice require forward-looking education models. The dedicated education unit model was developed in 1997 as a potential solution to globally recognized challenges in nursing education amidst discourses of nursing resource scarcity. Despite more than two decades of innovation and expansion, there is still limited understanding of the effectiveness of the dedicated education unit as a solution to those challenges, or for the anticipated benefits for students and patients, through enhanced evidence-informed health care. This analysis of the characteristics and processes of the model is timely for evaluating and sustaining implementation of the dedicated education unit across nursing practice and education settings.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

English-only publications related to the dedicated education unit practice education model for undergraduate nursing students in baccalaureate and associate degree programs using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research, and quality improvement, program evaluation, and opinion publications were included.

METHODS

Using selected keywords including "dedicated education unit," we searched CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Academic Premier Search, ERIC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, JBI EBP Database, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts against inclusion criteria. We reviewed reference lists for gray literature and additional references. Data were extracted from the included articles and categorized for characteristics and processes. Eighty-two publications from January 1997 to May 2020 were included. The findings were presented descriptively with tables and figures to support the data.

RESULTS

Dedicated education unit models were based on five characteristics and four processes. Characteristics of the dedicated education unit model included effective academic-practice partnership, adaptability to diverse contexts, unit culture of educational excellence, responsive and supportive unit leadership, and clarity of roles and responsibilities. Processes included building nurse and faculty capacity, facilitating student learning, communicating regularly at systems and unit levels, and evaluating and sustaining the model.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence demonstrated that the dedicated education unit practice education model is well-established. However, there were existing gaps in this evidence, specifically evaluation and economic analyses. There was also limited attention to long-term sustainability of the model. The common characteristics and processes identified in this review may be used to support planning, implementation, and evaluation, including development and validation of evaluation tools. Although administrative infrastructure was noted as central to the dedicated education unit strategy, it was rarely acknowledged as part of management and thus also requires further study.

Developing a Psychiatric Mental Health Dedicated Education Unit: Student, Staff Nurse, and Patient Experience

BACKGROUND

There is an urgent need to increase the psychiatric mental health (PMH) nursing workforce in the United States. The dedicated education unit (DEU) model may provide a creative solution to this need.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the student, staff nurse, and patient experience in a PMH DEU.

METHODS

Thirty-three students and 7 staff nurses participated in focus group interviews. Sixty-one patients were asked to describe their experience with students in the PMH DEU.

RESULTS

Students reported that participation in the PMH DEU helped in breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness. Staff nurses described the benefit of staying current and faculty presence. Both students and staff nurses identified teamwork and understanding the PMH nursing role as key themes. All patients reported positive interactions with students.

CONCLUSIONS

The PMH DEU is a potential strategy to provide students with a deeper understanding of the PMH nursing role.

Evolution of the Canterbury Dedicated Education Unit model

The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model of clinical teaching and learning represents a substantial shift in philosophy from the previous preceptorship model in undergraduate nursing education in Canterbury, New Zealand. This research aims to identify the factors underpinning the evolution of the Canterbury DEU model. It utilised a qualitative case study design with inductive and deductive thematic analysis of archival documents and three key informant interviews. Analysis identified centrality of relationships and a progressive culture shift as integral to the development of the Canterbury DEU. The relationships vital to the success of the DEU model are evidenced at varying organisational levels between the health care and education provider and have been essential to the substantive growth of the DEU model in Canterbury, from an initial five pilot sites in 2007 to 47 DEUs in 2017.

The role of academic-practice partnerships from perspectives of nursing students: A cross -sectional study

BACKGROUND

Collaborations between nursing schools and teaching hospitals are important for achieving the goals of clinical nursing education. While previous work showed that nursing students benefit from academic-practice partnerships, it is unclear how these collaborations help nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the role of academic-practice partnerships from the perspective of nursing students. Two hypothetical models based on system theory were proposed that utilized input-transformation-output processes. The input, transformation, and outputs were the "academic-practice partnership", "interaction between nurses and nursing students", and "professional self-concept and organizational socialization of nursing students", respectively.

DESIGN

This study used a cross-sectional research design.

SETTING

This study was conducted at a nursing school in Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants included 243 fourth-year nursing students who were about to graduate.

METHODS

A questionnaire was used to collect data in August 2019. Path analysis was used to explore the models to determine the roles of academic-practice partnerships.

RESULTS

Two hypothetical models indicated the role of academic-practice partnership. The academic-practice partnership positively affected the interaction between nurses and nursing students, which directly and indirectly benefitted professional self-concept and organizational socialization of nursing students.

CONCLUSION

The higher perceived academic-practice partnership by nursing students, the better their interactions with nurses, professional self-concept, and organizational socialization. Therefore, nursing students should be aware of the academic-practice partnerships and nursing educators should effectively show these partnerships or collaborations to nursing students. Moreover, nursing educators should also encourage nursing students to interact with their preceptors in their practicums and, as nurses are important educators in academic-practice partnerships, they should be qualified as preceptors to teach nursing students.

The effectiveness of partnership models in clinical nursing education - A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effectiveness of partnership models in clinical nursing education with regards to cost effectiveness; student employability, work-readiness, confidence, and competence; and stakeholders' satisfaction.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

Research studies published in English were searched electronically through EbscoHost (CINAHL and ERIC), Scopus, Medline (via Ovid), ProQuest Central, and Web of Science databases. Criteria were developed to guide the selection of original studies published in English before 2019 for review.

REVIEW METHODS

Arksey and Malley's framework (2005) and relevant enhancements guided the conduct of the review. An informal appraisal of selected studies was applied.

RESULTS

Two theses and 31 articles with a variation in methodologies, methods, sample sizes, research populations and quality of evidence were included for review. Four themes were identified: (i) Description of partnership models in clinical education, (ii) length of model implementation prior to evaluation, (iii) positive qualitative findings, and (iv) quantitative findings limited by data collection periods and methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Shared among the reviewed studies is stakeholder view of the positive impacts of partnership models on the clinical learning environment, and the increased level of support and individualised instruction for students. However, the use of not fully validated survey instruments and the lack of description about the implementation period before evaluation in many reviewed studies limit the interpretation of quantifiable effect of the partnership models. This review identifies a lack of attention on student employability, work-readiness, cost evaluation, patient perspective, and partnership models in low-income countries. Future research to address these knowledge gaps using high quality data collection methods and rigorous research design is warranted.