Creating a caring community in nursing education

Faculty-Student Caring Interaction in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

Introduction: Faculty- student caring relationship in nursing education has been offered as enhancing students’ learning experiences to care , desire to care for others and self-actu­alization. This review therefore was carried out to analyze faculty-student caring interactions in nursing education.

Methods: This concept analysis of caring in the nursing education was conducted based on Broom methodology of integrative review. The literature was consisted of two books from two known theorists, and 47 relevant articles. They retrieved from English data bases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, SCOPUS, and SID, with based on the keywords of caring and "nursing education", during the period 2005-2014.

Results: Caring in nursing education refers to faculty-student interaction based on ethical and human values. The development of values and moral principles in education, flexibility in educational processes, application of objective patterns in learning, and dynamism in educational processes are identified as caring concept attributes in teaching-learning process. This requires environmental support, constant human relationship, and knowing. Internalization of values, achieving self-esteem, peace, and towards human evolution were the main achievements of the concept of caring in nursing education.

Conclusion: The details obtained from the dimensions of "caring" concept in this study could be utilized by nursing education researchers and designers in order to develop content and structure for educational programs.

One University Making a Difference in Graduate Education

As online education gains momentum, strategies to promote student engagement, develop social presence, and create a virtual community are essential for students’ successful learning. A university with a philosophy grounded in caring developed two strategies for the graduate online education setting. These two strategies intentionally promote caring for self and others as a means to foster engagement, social presence, and a vibrant online community. One strategy was online Caring Groups, that is, small groups of four to five nursing students created each semester in one of the students’ required courses in the online setting. The second strategy was the creation of two Caring Connections online sites, one for master of science in nursing students and one for doctorate in education nursing students. The sites were developed external to required courses to provide support for the online students throughout the graduate programs. Each site provides an ongoing space for students and faculty to post and discuss inspirational quotes, self-care tips, music, and photographs. The online Caring Groups and Caring Connections sites will be described, including how they were created, how they are used by students, how faculty support students, lessons learned, and how Caring Groups are integrated into the curriculum

Relationship of nurses? spirituality to their understanding and practice of spiritual care

AIM

This paper reports a study to examine the relationship of nurses' spirituality to their understanding and practice of spiritual care.

BACKGROUND

Continued debate surrounds the concept, practice and teaching of spirituality, highlighting the complexity and importance of understanding spirituality and the delivery of spiritual care. Spirituality is defined in this study as the relationship with the self and a dimension beyond the self.

METHOD

A convenience sample of 61 nurses from a part-time Bachelor of Science degree programme in nursing in Hong Kong, more than half of whom reported their religious affiliations, completed a newly developed, 27-item five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The data were collected in 2002. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Correlations were used to determine relationships among self, understanding and practices of spiritual care. The Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine differences between demographic variables and spirituality, understanding and practices of spiritual care. Multiple linear regression was used to determine factors contributing to understanding and practices of spiritual care.

FINDINGS

A positive statistically significant correlation was found between self and the following three variables: dimension beyond self (r=0.35, P<0.001), understanding of spiritual care (r=0 x 57, P<0 x 001), and practice of spiritual care (r=0 x 26, P<0 x 05). The relative contributions of self to understanding (beta=1 x 06, |t|=10 x 74, P<0.001) and practice of spiritual care (beta=0 x 68, |t| = 3 x 62, P=0 x 001) were statistically significant. There was no statistically significance difference between any of the demographic variables and understanding and practice of spiritual care, except for a negative relationship between religious affiliations and the dimension beyond self (P<0 x 001).

CONCLUSION

Through continuously seeking self-awareness and connecting to a dimension beyond the self for inner resource, the contented whole self will be able to provide spiritual care.

Student-teacher connection: a place of possibility

AIM

This paper expands the understanding of student-teacher connection and offers direction for educators in supporting connection as a place of possibility.

BACKGROUND

The evolution of a humanistic paradigm in nursing education is evident in research exploring student-teacher relationships. Connection is described within humanistic student-teacher relationships, reported as part of experiences of students, educators and clinicians within emancipatory curricula, and emerged as a central metaphor in a metasynthesis of caring in nursing education. Additionally, student-teacher connection in clinical nursing education has been reported as creating positive outcomes for students' learning experiences and professional socialization.

DISCUSSION

In this paper, student-teacher connection is envisioned as having a value beyond these tangible outcomes - a value that arises from the essence of connection itself. The qualities inherent in the essence of connection - knowing, trust, respect and mutuality - create a transformative space in which students are affirmed, gain insight into their potential, and grow toward fulfilling personal and professional capacities: student-teacher connection emerges as a place of possibility. The possibilities that exist for students and teachers in a connected relationship are exemplified as connection is proposed as a cornerstone in supporting students at risk of failing a clinical nursing course.

CONCLUSION

Acknowledging student-teacher connection as a place of possibility highlights the importance of student-teacher relationship to students' learning and raises implications for preparation and evaluation of educators, and educational practice within the international nursing arena. Of note is the need for the preparation of educators to include a focus of developing relational competence as well as evaluation processes that consider the teacher-in-relationship. Regardless of the educational setting, educators are challenged to consider their beliefs and actions and the influence these exert on relationships with students. Further research exploring specific possibilities within connection is required.

Nursing Education and Service Collaboration: Making a Difference in the Clinical Learning Environment

This article focuses on innovative collaborative steps that were identified in recent research conducted by these authors on the relationship between academia and service. These steps are currently being implemented in the hope of improving the important role that the clinical environment plays in student nurses' education. Few factors in nursing education are as important as the clinical environment in which students do their training. This article elaborates on these steps and offers practical suggestions for improving the relationship between academia and service.

An Action Research on the Development of a Caring Curriculum in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of the first-year course of a 5-year nursing caring curriculum. An action research method involving participant observation investigated how 18 instructors in a junior college nursing program implemented caring in the course. Data gathered through observation, interviews, and questionnaires were used for evaluation and revision of the course. Results included development of the framework for the caring curriculum and the contents of the first-year course, Introduction to Caring. Course content included the concepts of caring ("love and sincerity," "caring communication," "empathy and respect," "acceptance and trust," and "offering of self"), performance of caring actions ("care of self," "care of family members," and "care of peers"), and caring motivations ("caring reinforcing factors" and "caring restraining factors"). Teaching strategies included role modeling, dialogue, reflection, journaling, and caring groups. Evaluation showed that student caring knowledge, attitudes, and behavior improved after course implementation.

Undergraduate nursing student experience

The purpose of the present qualitative study was to describe and explicate the experience of being a nursing student. A convenience sample of 12 nursing students from a variety of backgrounds at a public university were interviewed using an interview guide with open-ended questions. Their stories provided an insight into the satisfactions, challenges and stresses faced by students. Four major theme clusters emerged from the data: (i) meeting conflicting demands; (ii) feeling overworked; (iii) feeling unprepared and; (iv) seeking respect and support from one's faculty. These identified themes corroborate the findings of other researchers who have studied the student experience. Student's stories provide insights into the current educational environment, which can assist faculties to understand the impact of their pedagogical approaches. This information is particularly important in light of the current worldwide nursing shortage.

Evaluation of an informal peer group experience on baccalaureate nursing students' emotional well-being and professional socialization

Although studies have documented the importance of the academic environment in promoting positive outcomes among students, few quantitative studies in nursing have been performed to identify strategies through which a nurturing learning environment can be created. A randomized two-group pretest-posttest design was used to investigate effects of an informal peer group experience on baccalaureate nursing students' emotional well-being and professional socialization as caring practitioners. Groups did not differ significantly on the outcomes measured in this study. As a whole, students showed statistically significant increases in anxiety, depression, and negative affect, along with decreased self-esteem and positive affect during the junior year of nursing school. Psychological problems and stress-related symptoms have been well documented among college students in general and professional students in particular. Although the findings from this study are not unique, they suggest the need to reconsider strategies by which the affective and professional socialization goals of undergraduate nursing education can be achieved.

Care Groups: a model to mentor novice nursing students

To lessen anxiety and promote the acquisition of basic skills and professional values in novice students, faculty incorporated special groups, called Care Groups, in the curriculum. Care Groups promote caring relationships. They help students to succeed by decreasing their apprehension and anxiety when demonstrating basic nursing skills in a laboratory environment. The authors discuss the structure and process of Care Groups and the faculty's role as mentor.

They took the time ... they started to care: stories of African-American nursing students in intercultural caring groups

Socially responsible nurse educators articulate the need to explore opportunities for nursing students to participate in experiences that promote caring and respect for diversity. This research illuminates the experiences of 10 African-American nursing students who participated in caring groups while enrolled in a predominantly White nursing education program. Although the meanings embedded in the African-American students' stories revealed commonalities with those of European-American and international students, there were also some differences. The authors maintained a critical social consciousness to analyze and describe these commonalities and differences. This article discusses the constitutive patterns and themes that emerged from the data and addresses implications for nursing education and practice.

Caring Within Nursing Education: A Metasynthesis

During the 1990s qualitative research studies on caring within schools of nursing have been conducted. What generalizations can be made from these qualitative research studies that can effectively be used to promote the development of a caring community in nursing education in the 21st century? A metasynthesis of 14 qualitative research studies on caring among faculty and students was conducted. Noblit and Hare's metaethnographic approach was used. The metasynthesis revealed five metaphors or themes that permeated caring in nursing education. These metaphors centered on reciprocal connecting that consisted of presencing, sharing, supporting, competence, and uplifting effects of caring. Implications of this metasynthesis for nursing educators are addressed.

Relationships among student and graduate caring ability and professional school climate

This study represents the second phase in a longitudinal study of the development of caring ability in registered nurses. A nationwide sample of female graduates of US baccalaureate nursing programs was resurveyed 3 years after the phase-one survey taken during nursing school. The purpose of the study was to continue an evaluation of several variables contributing to the development of professional caring ability. Previously validated instruments were used to measure caring ability (Caring Ability Inventory), maternal and paternal care (Parental Bonding Instrument), and the caring climate of the respective nursing schools (Charles F. Kettering Ltd. School Climate Profile). Although parental bonding scores remained unchanged from the initial survey, caring ability scores significantly increased after entry into practice (paired student's t test, P < .001). The strongest predictor of postgraduate caring ability was student caring ability scores (r = .58, P < .001). When student caring ability scores were excluded as a potential predictor during stepwise multiple regression analysis, school climate scores were the strongest predictor of postgraduate caring ability (r = .17, P < .05). This suggests that development of professional caring ability is related to caring school environments. Furthermore, caring ability as a student predicts further development of caring ability after entry into practice.

Support groups: an empowering, experiential strategy

The authors describe a student-facilitated support group experience initiated at student request and designed for RN-BSN students. Students report they emerged enlightened about group theory, empowered to share their knowledge of groups, and energized to initiate groups in their work settings. If educators make the learning experience safe, practice letting go and being vigilant, and celebrate group successes, students learn how to initiate, facilitate, and terminate small groups.

Caring interactions among nursing students: a descriptive comparison of 2 associate degree nursing programs

Increasing emphasis has been given to the importance of caring as a curricular theme in nursing education and the value of developing students who will be able to function in a practice role as a caring nurse. The challenge for nurse educators is to understand and facilitate those processes through which students can be socialized to caring as a professional value in nursing. The findings from research that was conducted to investigate caring in nursing education suggest that caring can emerge during students' interactions with other students and during their interactions with faculty members. Therefore, it may be useful to capitalize on peer relationships as a strategy through which students can experience caring behaviors and develop skill in the practice of caring for others. The findings from this study support the need to investigate experiential learning strategies that are designed to promote the practice of caring among the student peer group. Additional research is needed to validate the effectiveness of such strategies as a method through which nursing students can learn caring.