Learning Preferences and Engagement Level of Generation Z Nursing Students

Prompt Engineering for Nurse Educators

BACKGROUND

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT into nursing education marks a transformative advance in personalized learning and interactive engagement.

PROBLEM

Variability in faculty's experience with AI outputs highlights the need for well-crafted prompts that align with educational objectives, maximize learning outcomes, and ensure contextual relevance. Effective prompting is a key to eliciting accurate, relevant responses from AI, fostering a dynamic learning environment that bolsters student comprehension of complex topics.

APPROACH

This article examines the critical role of prompt engineering in optimizing AI-generated content's effectiveness within academic settings. With a detailed guide and strategies specifically designed for nursing education, the article prepares faculty to proficiently use generative AI.

CONCLUSIONS

By mastering prompt engineering, educators can leverage AI tools as powerful aids, potentially significantly enhancing teaching effectiveness, work efficiency, and student learning outcomes.

Engaging Undergraduate Nursing Students in Collaborative Research

BACKGROUND

Nurses are expected to base practice on evidence from research, which requires an understanding of the research process. However, baccalaureate nursing students may find research courses uninteresting or feel unprepared to conduct research. Participation in experiential research projects may affect their research attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

METHOD

Nursing investigators engaged nursing students in an experiential, active learning research project centered on the effects of pet interaction involving university students. Faculty mentored and partnered with nursing students, immersing them in all research processes.

RESULTS

Students confirmed that participation in the project enhanced their understanding of research, improved their clinical and communication skills, and fostered professional growth. Students presented results in a scientific poster at the University's research event.

CONCLUSION

Collaborative faculty-student research projects enhance students' interest in and appreciation of evidence-based research, and support professional development, confidence in assuming research roles, and feelings of connection with faculty, each other, and the university. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(10):713-715.].

Midwifery student engagement with digital interactive books: A cross sectional survey

AIM

To explore the benefit and engagement of undergraduate students' use of H5P interactive books for student learning.

DESIGN

An evaluation study of technology enabled learning for first year undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery students in Australia.

METHODS

Students were invited to complete an online evaluation survey of their use and engagement with H5P interactive books. The survey included the long form User Engagement Scale which has four subscales of focused attention, aesthetic appeal, reward factor and perceived usability scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Content analysis was used to analyse the text comments given to five open text questions.

RESULTS

There were 21 students who completed the survey. There was a high overall User Engagement Scale score of 73.1 % with aesthetic appeal and reward factor being the highest scoring subscales. The content analysis showed students found the interactive books engaging and easy to navigate. Areas for improvement identified were not including a large amount of content and providing downloadable content.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the valuable and engaging use of H5P Interactive Books for undergraduate students in higher education. Students who used H5P Interactive Books identified their ease of use, organised layout and engaging format.

Flipping Veterinary Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Physiology: Students' Engagement and Perception

Flipped classroom (FC) is a teaching method where traditional learning roles are inverted. Students are provided with material in advance and are expected to study the content prior to in-class sessions. These sessions are subsequently utilized to clarify doubts and examine in greater depth the previously acquired knowledge. Despite the widespread nature of its approach in health education, its application in basic veterinary subjects remains poorly described. This study explores the implementation of the FC approach in veterinary physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, and embryology. Pre-class material was mainly provided in video format, and class sessions facilitated quizzes and interactive activities aimed to reinforce understanding. The findings indicate a high level of student involvement and effective class preparation, as evidenced by over 84% of students participating in FC in-class sessions and generally achieving satisfactory scores on quizzes. A survey conducted at the end of the first semester shows that a high proportion of students positively valued pre-class material (>90%), quizzes (82%), and the FC approach (66%). However, by the end of the second semester, traditional lectures were preferred by more students than FC (45% and 25%, respectively), while 30% of the students mentioned having no preference between the two methods. Analysis of open-ended responses underscored positive facets of the FC approach, including self-organization, enhanced understanding, and availability of pre-class material. However, it also emphasized challenges associated with FC, such as the significant time and effort required. In conclusion, this study suggests that the FC approach can be well received in integrated basic veterinary subjects if it does not imply an excessive student workload, underscoring the potential benefits of a blended teaching approach that combines elements of both traditional and FC methods.

The effect of outcome-based education on clinical performance and perception of pediatric care of the third-year nursing students in Mongolia

BACKGROUND

Mongolian government has set improvement of clinical proficiency of nursing students as one of its priorities. Nursing professionals have the sentinel role in providing healthcare services in rural areas. Outcome-based education (OBE) offers a promising pedagogical approach to actively mentally engage students to strengthen their clinical proficiencies. We implemented a pilot project with the objective of comparing students' clinical performance under OBE with our traditional didactic techniques.

METHODS

The researchers implemented a non-equivalent two-armed quasi-experimental post-test-only' design approach study. The intervention arm (n = 34) received OBE pediatric training, while the control arm (n = 32) received the traditional pedagogical pediatric nursing training. Each arm of the study completed 16 hours of theory, 32 hours of clinical skills practice and 32 hours of seminars in pediatric nursing care. Data were collected using a five-section instrument, Demographic, Competency Inventory, Nursing Students' Satisfaction, Course Experience, and Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Performance and knowledge proficiencies were evaluated by applying the two-sided independent T-test. The distributions of categorical variables were assessed by Fisher's exact test or chi-squared test of significance.

RESULTS

The intervention arm had higher mean score value in the competency inventory ([Formula: see text] = 238.70, SD = ± 23.07) compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 222.11, SD = ± 39.94) (P = 0.04); similarly, the mean value for nursing students' satisfaction was higher for the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 117.87, SD = ± 15.94) compared to the control group ([Formula: see text] = 109.76, SD = ± 16.94) (P = 0.049). Additionally, the difference in the mean value for course experience questionnaire between the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 125.33, SD = ± 19.30) and the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 110.41, SD = ± 11.28) was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). Finally, the intervention arm had a higher mean value ([Formula: see text] = 85.40, SD = ± 6.11) for objective structural clinical examination compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 81.56, SD = ± 7.01) (P = 0.023).

CONCLUSION

OBE pedagogical approach offers promising benefits to improving nursing students' clinical competencies; additionally, the OBE approach seems to increase students' satisfactions with their clinical curriculum.

Avoiding controversy: Considerations for point-of-view nursing simulations

Point-of-view simulations involve participants engaging in simulation to experience what it might be like to live with a health condition or disability. These types of simulations have been used frequently in nurse education as a valuable pedagogical tool, as research has shown that student engagement with point-of-view simulations increases student empathy. However, point-of-view simulations have also been problematised by disability community members and scholars researching in the disability space, as ableist and culturally unsafe. This manuscript explores recommendations for, and criticisms of, point-of-view simulations and offers considerations to address these concerns.

Effectiveness evaluation of flipped classroom in emergency medicine online teaching for medical undergraduates

INTRODUCTION

Due to policy changes in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, online teaching has become the main form of class in many Chinese universities. Flipped classroom has been widely used in other disciplines, but there is a dearth of evidence available about the use in online teaching of emergency medicine. This study aimed to develop a flipped classroom for online emergency medicine teaching and evaluate its effectiveness by comparing it with traditional lecture-based online teaching.

METHODS

A total of 62 clinical medical undergraduates from Jinan University participated in this study from September to December in 2022. An online flipped classroom approach was developed (FC group, n = 31). Traditional lecture-based online teaching was applied as a contrast (LBT group, n = 31). The undergraduates completed examinations and questionnaires at the end of the course. A course experience questionnaire and course examination score were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach.

RESULTS

Regarding the five dimensions of the course experience questionnaire, the scores for good teaching (3.47 ± 0.50 vs. 2.34 ± 0.48, p < .001), appropriate assessment (3.31 ± 0.68 vs. 2.95 ± 0.71, p = .043) and generic skills (3.16 ± 0.60 vs. 2.72 ± 0.39, p < .001) were higher for the FC group than for the LBT group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in clear goals and standards, and appropriate workload. The undergraduates in the FC group showed significantly higher overall satisfaction than those in the LBT group (3.52 ± 0.1.03 vs. 2.87 ± 0.92, p = .012). The examination scores (77.936 ± 11.573 vs. 70.484 ± 7.434, p < .001), especially the scores for questions related to case analysis (33.032 ± 5.363 vs. 26.968 ± 7.657, p < .001), were significantly higher in the FC group than in the LBT group.

CONCLUSIONS

The flipped classroom for online teaching was efficient in improving undergraduates' emergency medical academic performance and promoting the development of clinical case analysis ability. These findings provide an alternative flipped classroom approach for online teaching of emergency medicine.

How to get started with presenting at conferences

ABSTRACT

Presenting at nursing conferences can support one's career advancement, contribute to the development of other nurses, and promote the dissemination of research, best practices, and innovations. This article provides a guide to presenting at a conference, with details about presentation formats and strategies for new and aspiring presenters.

The effects of using a flipped classroom pedagogy in nursing anesthesia education: a program evaluation

BACKGROUND

The flipped classroom (FC) pedagogy improves undergraduate student proficiency and satisfaction. However, its effectiveness has not been demonstrated in nursing anesthesia education.

OBJECTIVES

Pre- and post-FC tests and course evaluations were retrospectively compared to determine if FC was an effective pedagogy for a nursing anesthesia program (NAP).

METHODS

The design of the study was a retrospective program evaluation. Two groups were compared with 59 students in the pre-FC group taught via traditional lecture and 61 students in the post-FC group taught with FC. Answers to the same 167 test questions were compared using an independent t-test and five course evaluation questions were statistically compared using NPAR1WAY procedure with the Wilcoxon option to determine if significant differences existed between the two nursing anesthesia student cohorts.

RESULTS

The post-FC students exhibited a significant 4 % increase in test scores and expressed increased satisfaction compared to their pre-FC counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective program evaluation showed that student proficiency and satisfaction improved between the groups after changing to the FC pedagogy. However, research is needed to determine the true value of using FC in nursing anesthesia education.

IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE

The flipped classroom model can be beneficial in graduate nursing education with our ever-changing student population.

Motivations and expectations of generation Z nursing students: A post-pandemic career choice qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

The global nursing shortage is a growing concern so recruiting and retaining Generation Z (Gen Z) students is vital to the sustainability of the profession.

PURPOSE

To explore the perceptions and expectations of first-year nursing students regarding the nursing profession, its working conditions, and how these factors influenced their career choices.

METHOD

Descriptive qualitative research design, employing an interpretive research approach and content analysis conducted following Graneheim & Lundman's method. Our study involved 105 Generation Z nursing degree students enrolled in first year at the Mar Nursing School in Barcelona, Spain in 2021. Data collection included voluntary written narratives about their career choice and questionnaires of demographic information and their healthcare experiences.

RESULTS

It became evident that Generation Z students' perceptions and expectations of nursing don't align with the actual professional experience. This mismatch could lead to disillusionment and attrition among these students.

CONCLUSIONS

Several factors (economic, aspirational, perception of nursing during the COVID-19, or gender) influence new students' career choice. These factors shape their expectations and often do not match actual working conditions in nursing. Educational institutions must prepare students by transferring cross-cutting competencies to effectively meet these challenges and avoid potential dropout from the profession.

A comparison of Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles

OBJECTIVES

Learning styles have been studied in dental and generational research, but research has been limited with Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a difference between Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles.

METHODS

First- and second-year dental hygiene students attending three programs located in Southern California were invited to participate in the study. Additional participants were recruited through dental hygiene social media sites. The 44 item Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered via an online survey platform. Millennial and Generation Z participants were compared on the four dimensions of the ILS: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test.

RESULTS

A total of 150 dental hygiene students agreed to participate; Millennials (n = 61), Generation Z (n = 89). There was no significant difference between Millennial and Generation Z students in the active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, or sequential/global dimensions (p > 0.05); both cohorts preferred the active, sensing, and sequential learning styles. There was a statistically significant difference in the visual/verbal dimension with Millennials indicating a significantly greater preference for the visual learning style than Generation Z (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

There may be differences between the learning styles of Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The finding that Generation Z students differ significantly from Millennials on the visual-verbal dimension may indicate a shift toward the verbal dimension learning style that needs further study.

The effect of audio-visual video with korotkoff sounds on anxiety levels and blood pressure measurement skills of nursing students: A randomized controlled study

AIM

This study was aimed to determine the effect of the audio-visual video created with korotkoff sounds on the anxiety levels and blood pressure measurement skills of nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Blood pressure measurement is the basis of nursing care and clinical decision. For this reason, it is stated that nursing students should specialize in this skill.

DESIGN

This research was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study.

METHOD

This research was conducted with 130 (intervention group: 67, control group: 63) nursing students in the nursing department of a university in March 2022. Before the skill practice, the students in the intervention group listened to the korotkoff sounds using an audio-visual video containing the korotkoff sounds and then the practice was made. Data of the study were collected using the short version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the student introduction form and the blood pressure measurement evaluation form.

RESULTS

The mean age of the students was 19.41 (SD 1.75) in the intervention group and 19.20 (SD 1.04) in the control group. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory mean scores of both groups were similar before the skill practice. At the end of the skill practice, the state anxiety score of the intervention group 0.56 (SD 1.03) was lower than the control group 1.30 (SD 1.81) and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). When the blood pressure measurements of the students in both groups were compared, the rate of hearing korotkoff sounds and measuring blood pressure correctly was higher in the students in the intervention group and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The korotkoff sounds presented with audio-visual video increased the skill levels of the students and reduced the anxiety level. In this direction; it is recommended to use audio-visual video containing korotkoff sounds for students to gain blood pressure measurement skills.

Identifying engagement and associated factors in nursing students: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Burnout and engagement in health students surpass work life. Although levels of burnout in Nursing students are high, academic engagement is an understudied topic in Nursing, which has shown benefits. The aims were to know the level of engagement of Nursing students and to identify factors that prompt higher levels of engagement.

METHODS

An exploratory study was conducted during 2019 in three Universities in Spain. The UWES-S-17 questionnaire was used.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 808 Nursing students. An average level of engagement was found. Engagement differed significantly by gender and age, with females and older students showing greater attitudes. Participants in the second year showed lower scores in the willingness to dedicate effort and persistence than those in the first and third year (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of the level of engagement and factors involved are an opportunity to probe into this approach by reinforcing positive attitudes in Nursing students. These findings show the need to seek strategies through specific educational interventions and policies. Engagement should be upheld throughout the degree and once they enter the job market to ensure the well-being during academic and future work life, a high-quality nursing care and patient safety.

Preferences for printed books versus E-books among university students in a Middle Eastern country

Background

Learning styles vary among the students at the university level which has changed from traditional to more technology pervaded strategies involving digital gadgets. The Academic libraries are being challenged to upgrade from old fashioned hard copy resources to digital libraries including electronic books.

Purpose

The main purpose of the study is to assess the preferences of using printed books versus e-books.

Methods

A descriptive cross sectional survey design was used to collect the data. A total of 607 students were included in the study. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

Results showed that 86.8% of the students were in undergraduate program with 48.9% students in the second year of the program, 95.6% in the age group of 17-26 years and 59.5% of them being females. The study concluded that 74.6% of students prefer e-books in terms of easy to carry and 80.6% of them spent more than 1 h reading from e-books, while 66.7% of the students preferred printed books due to the ease in studying and 67.9% favored as it is easy to make notes. However, 54% of them felt studying from the digital copies difficult.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the students prefer e-books as they spent more time reading from e-books and are easy to carry; while traditional printed copy is comfortable to use and easy to take notes and study for exams.

Implications for practice

As many changes are happening in the instructional design strategies with the introduction of hybrid methods of teaching and learning, the findings of the study will guide the stake holders and educational policy makers to design novel and modernized educational design that has a psychological, and social impact among the students.

Challenging the Myth of the Digital Native: A Narrative Review

Background and Aims: Nurses are increasingly engaging with digital technologies to enhance safe, evidence-based patient care. Digital literacy is now considered a foundational skill and an integral requirement for lifelong learning, and includes the ability to search efficiently, critique information and recognise the inherent risk of bias in information sources. However, at many universities, digital literacy is assumed. In part, this can be linked to the concept of the Digital Native, a term first coined in 2001 by the US author Marc Prensky to describe young people born after 1980 who have been surrounded by mobile phones, computers, and other digital devices their entire lives. The objective of this paper is to explore the concept of the Digital Native and how it influences undergraduate nursing education. Materials and Methods: A pragmatic approach was used for this narrative review, working forward from Prensky’s definition of the Digital Native and backward from contemporary sources of information extracted from published health, education and nursing literature. Results: The findings from this narrative review will inform further understanding of digital literacy beliefs and how these beliefs influence undergraduate nursing education. Recommendations for enhancing the digital literacy of undergraduate nursing students are also discussed. Conclusions: Digital literacy is an essential requirement for undergraduate nursing students and nurses and is linked with safe, evidence-based patient care. The myth of the Digital Native negates the reality that exposure to digital technologies does not equate digital literacy and has resulted in deficits in nursing education programs. Digital literacy skills should be a part of undergraduate nursing curricula, and National Nursing Digital Literacy competencies for entry into practice as a Registered Nurse should be developed and contextualised to individual jurisdictions.

Promotion of Student Engagement Through the Application of Good Practices in Nursing Online Education

The purpose of this article is to review Chickering and Gamson's principles of good practice in teaching and to illustrate their applicability to nursing online education delivery. An additional purpose is to present examples of teaching methods used by faculty to promote engagement in online education courses during the pandemic. The original 7 best practices in education, including ( a ) encourages contact between students and faculty, ( b ) develops reciprocity and cooperation among students, ( c ) uses active learning techniques, ( d ) gives prompt feedback, ( e ) emphasizes time on task, ( f ) communicates high expectations, and ( g ) respects diverse talents and ways of learning, remain evidence-based guidelines today. The authors recommend the addition of 2 new best practices: ( a ) incorporating assignment flexibility to meet student learning preferences; and ( b ) applying learning to real-life situations. Having evidence-based guidelines for supporting the role of a teacher in the online learning setting is of paramount importance.

Generational situatedness: Challenging generational stereotypes in health professions education

PURPOSE

Use of generation theory is pervasive within health professions education (HPE) literature, yet its application perpetuates unfounded generalizations that disadvantage learners. The objectives of this thematic analysis are first, to understand how generation theory is applied to 'Generation Z' HPE students and second, to propose a more productive framework for approaching evolutions within HPE.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted to identify HPE publications pertaining to Gen Z learners. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify a priori themes and uncover new themes.

RESULTS

Qualitative analysis revealed evidence of three a priori themes as well as four newly identified themes across our sample.

CONCLUSION

The near ubiquity of essentialism and generational othering across our sample illustrates the ongoing challenges posed by generationalism in HPE discourse. While traces of generational humility and generational situatedness suggest a more holistic response to evolving student populations, we nevertheless discourage the continued use of generation theory to guide HPE pedagogy and instead urge educators to resist essentializing generalizations by thinking comprehensively about what evolutions in HPE must occur if we are to best prepare our students to practice in present and future healthcare settings.[Box: see text].

Higher-Order Clicker Questions Engage Students and Prepare Them for Higher-Order Thinking Activities

Previous research has shown that the use of clickers in the classroom enhances student engagement. However, few studies have investigated how the type of clicker question may influence learning outcomes. To explore this, we compared the effects of lower-order cognitive skill (LOCS) and higher-order cognitive skill (HOCS) clicker questions on later exam performance in a biology course. During class time, students were presented with clicker questions directly related to unit content. Half of the content units were taught with LOCS, the other half with HOCS. To ensure that type of content did not influence results, the cognitive level of the clicker questions was counterbalanced across two semesters. The exams included a mix of LOCS and HOCS for each content unit. We also investigated the possible moderating effects of student perceptions on the relationship between type of clicker question and exam performance using student surveys. We found that using HOCS clicker questions significantly affects student learning. Practice with HOCS clicker questions improved performance on LOCS exam questions but not on HOCS exam questions. Students ranked lecture with clickers as a preferred and most helpful teaching methodology. Overall, these results suggest that practice with HOCS questions is engaging and gives students practice recalling content to "solve" a problem, thereby encoding low-level information and preparing them for higher-order thinking activities.

Student engagement in flipped classroom in nursing education: An integrative review

AIM

To summarize the effect of the flipped classroom method (FCM) on student engagement in nursing education and provide the implications for future practice.

BACKGROUND

Technological advancement of learning approaches including flipped classroom has become increasingly popular in nursing education. However, no integrative review has been published that specially explore the behaviour engagement, cognitive engagement and emotional engagement of flipped classroom use in nursing education.

METHODS

Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study (PICOS) strategies were implemented to investigate the literature from published peer-reviewed papers from 2013 to 2021 in CINAHL, MEDLINE and Web of Science.

RESULTS

The initial search identified 280 potentially relevant articles. After comprehensively reviewing the initial catchment using several analytical phases, 16 articles were considered for the final review. Most of articles targeted on undergraduate nursing students and were conducted in the USA and Australia. The review primarily identified positive learning outcomes among nursing students in term of student engagement. However, a few studies reported contrasting findings, possibly due to students are still dependent on traditional lecture-based classroom.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that use of the FCM in nursing education could promote students' behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement but yield a mixed outcome in emotional engagement. This review contributed to our understanding of the effect of the flipped classroom method on student engagement in nursing education, the strategies for promoting student engagement in future flipped classroom practice and recommendation for future research on flipped classroom.

Integration of e-learning approaches in a post-pandemic learning environment - Norwegian nursing students' recommendations from an action research study

The covid-19 pandemic has profoundly led to changes in use of digital platforms, online teaching, and e-learning strategies. The aim of the present study was to examine how future pedagogical approaches can promote constructive learning environments and facilitate nursing students learning processes in future post-pandemic scenarios based on an action research study, which were conducted through several steps from January 2021 through January 2022 in a Bachelor of Nursing program at UiT the Arctic University of Norway. Students from the 2020 enrollment were invited to focus group interviews in March 2021. The interviews were transcribed, and content analyzed, resulting in concrete advice, which were implemented for the next enrollment. Students from the 2021 enrollment were invited to similar focus groups, resulting in refined advice, which will be presented. The pandemic situation resulted in extensive use of digital platforms for the 2020 enrollment. Students from this cohort described shock and disappointment connected to their study start. They expected a new life, meeting new friends and to develop a student identity, but their expectations were broken. The loss of social connections led to isolation and a weak link to the program and to the nursing profession. They recommended integrated training of theoretical and practical skills in small groups combined with short, well-prepared digital lectures equivalent to "flipped classroom" approaches. Implementing their advice, the 2021 enrollment's experience became different. This group was prepared for extensive use of digital platforms and gave future advise on increased flexibility and balance between the various learning activities centered around the clinical sessions. Based on these experiences during the pandemic, we suggest that digital platforms and e-learning strategies facilitate nursing students learning in combination with active and social learning environments.

Flipped versus traditional classroom and student achievement and cognitive engagement in an associate degree nursing fundamental course

BACKGROUND

There is a call for instructional transformation in nursing education to include an innovative approach. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the flipped classroom method on student achievement and engagement in an associate degree nursing course. This study investigated associate degree nursing studies students' achievement and cognitive engagement under traditional learning (n = 141) and flipped learning (n = 130). This study was conducted in two first-year cohorts enrolled in their nursing fundamental course, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic respectively at a Hong Kong community college.

METHOD

A mixed methods approach was used with quantitative (examination scores) and qualitative (semi-structured focus group interview) measures applied.

RESULTS

There was a significant increase in final exam scores for the flipped classroom, all p < 0.01, with a medium-to-large (d = 0.60) effect size. Students commented flipped classroom method promoted their cognitive engagement and the benefits that contributed to such a positive student achievement included more peer interaction and more opportunity to apply their knowledge.

CONCLUSION

This study contributed to our understanding of the effect of the flipped classroom method on student engagement in nursing education.

Nursing Students From China and the United States: Learning Together Through Virtual Simulation

AIM

The purpose of this project was to connect nursing students from schools of nursing in China and the United States for colearning using virtual simulations.

BACKGROUND

With technology and international partnerships, nursing programs can offer global education without students traveling to other countries.

METHOD

Virtual simulations were produced by each school for the project. Students completed them in two synchronous 1.5-hour virtual sessions, one month apart. At the end of each session, students completed the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified and the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale.

RESULTS

Scores on the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified ranged from 75.0 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 1 (video vignettes focused on prioritization) and 88.9 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 2 (computer-based obstetrics case). Most students strongly agreed or agreed that the simulation improved their clinical reasoning skills.

CONCLUSION

Virtual simulations allowed students to learn together and develop an awareness of differences in nursing practices across countries.

Effectiveness of Clinical Simulation and Peer-Assisted Learning to Teaching About the Sexuality of People With Spinal Cord Injury

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The sexuality of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) is a subject often neglected by healthcare professionals because of their lack of knowledge or understanding of how to proceed in this context. Different teaching strategies can be used to fill this knowledge gap, such as clinical simulation and peer-assisted learning. This study evaluates the effects of an educational intervention on nursing students' knowledge acquisition about the sexuality of individuals with SCI and on the students' self-confidence and satisfaction with the experience. METHODS: Quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design was conducted with nursing students (N = 54). The intervention was the application by a senior-level nursing student of 2 scenarios of high-fidelity clinical simulation. The primary outcome was the knowledge about the sexuality of people with SCI. The secondary outcome was the satisfaction and self-confidence in learning. We performed descriptive and inferential statistics and built multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: The effect of the intervention on knowledge acquisition ranged from the mean of 1.26 in the pretest to 3.10 in the posttest. The means in the scores of satisfaction and self-confidence were considered excellent and correlated with knowledge acquisition. Previous attendance of a class on SCI positively interfered in the scale of knowledge acquisition. CONCLUSION: We verified an effect size ranging from medium to large magnitude for knowledge acquisition, and great satisfaction and self-confidence in learning through the use of simulated experience and peer-assisted learning.

The effects of flipped classroom characterized by situational and collaborative learning in a community nursing course: A quasi-experimental design

BACKGROUND

Since traditional teaching could not help to develop competences, flipped classroom has caught the sight of researchers. Despite the uptake of flipped classroom in other disciplines, there is a dearth of evidence available about the use in nursing curricula. In addition, there is no consensus on how to best implement a flipped classroom.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to (1) develop a flipped classroom underpinned by constructivism theory and (2) to verify its effectiveness.

DESIGN

This study adopted a quasi-experimental design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This study was conducted in 2018 spring semester at a University in East China with 6th semester undergraduate nursing students in four parallel classes in Community Nursing Course.

METHODS

A flipped classroom characterized by situational and collaborative learning was developed and carried out with two classes (intervention group, n = 98). In-class lectures was applied for the other two classes (control group, n = 90). Course examination score, experience (course experience questionnaire, CEQ), and students' appraisal were used to verify the effectiveness of flipped classroom.

RESULTS

Compared to control group, the examination score was higher for intervention group. As for the four domains of CEQ, good teaching domain rating was lower, learning burden domain rating was higher for the intervention group. There was no statistical difference in classroom quality and harvest domains. More students in intervention group chose the course helped them in developing "critical thinking" and "self-cognition and evaluation" abilities. Satisfaction rating of groups was not statistically different.

CONCLUSIONS

Flipped classroom was efficient in improving students' academic performance and promoting development of higher-level thinking abilities; however, it failed in improving students' satisfaction and course experience. These findings suggest that active learning strategies such as situational and collaborative learning of group problem solving and discussion should be integrated into nursing curriculum and refinement to flipped classroom are needed to create students' buy-in.

Generation Z Students in the Online Environment: Strategies for Nurse Educators

BACKGROUND

Student enrollment in online learning is increasing. Generation Z students are now enrolled in higher education, including in online nursing courses. Faculty teaching in the online environment should consider best practices and learner characteristics to address the needs of this student generation.

PROBLEM

Generation Z students prefer independent learning while still being socially connected to peers. Although this generation of students is comfortable with technology, their unique traits may create challenges for nurse educators teaching in online settings.

APPROACH

This article provides strategies for nurse educators teaching Generation Z students in online learning environments. Ways to foster student engagement, stimulate intellectual development, and build rapport with students, while considering characteristics specific to this generation of learners, are offered.

CONCLUSION

Online learning continues to develop as a means for educating nursing students. Using strategies for best online teaching practices while considering learner attributes will help students and educators be successful.

A Multicenter Study of Student Engagement and Satisfaction in Online Programs

BACKGROUND

Students who are more satisfied and engaged in online courses have better learning experiences and outcomes.

METHOD

Survey data were collected during a 4-month period in 2019. The research team created a survey to collect demographic information and assess student satisfaction. Student engagement was measured using the 19-item Online Student Engagement Scale.

RESULTS

Overall student engagement and satisfaction scores in online programs were moderately high. Generation Z participants and students from PhD programs were the most satisfied and engaged in their programs.

CONCLUSION

Students who are more engaged in online coursework are more satisfied and thus are more likely to remain and successfully complete their respective programs. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(5):259-264.].

Rapid Deployment of a Virtual Nurse Residency Program; Virtually No Idea Where to Start

The disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact in the transition of the new graduate nurse to independent practice. This article describes the conversion of a nurse residency program from a traditional classroom to a virtual setting and the barriers the team encountered. Curriculum changes and processes are described, including ideas for future implementation. These processes may be used as a guide for other institutions.

Employer Branding in the Context of the Company’s Sustainable Development Strategy from the Perspective of Gender Diversity of Generation Z

Applying the principles of sustainable development is an element of building the image of an organisation as an employer. The opinions of young people commencing their professional career in this regard may prove important for companies. The aim of this article is to identify a dependence between generation Z’s opinions on employer branding measures based on sustainable development taken by companies and the respondents’ gender. The article presents the results of primary research conducted on a sample of 291 students of higher education institutions in Poland. The methods include questionnaire surveys and statistical data processing. The results of the research suggest that sustainable development measures undertaken by employers increase the candidates’ motivation to apply for a job in the organisation. The analysis demonstrated that generation Z’s opinions on sustainable development activities carried out by employers and on the significance of employer branding are dependent on the respondents’ gender. The main conclusion is that women are more ecologically oriented than men, and following a sustainable development strategy is more important for them. Companies building employer branding should consider the adoption of various factors identified in the article, such as the Employee Value Proposition (EVP), especially when their workforce is gender-diverse.

Transitioning to Teaching Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic many nursing educators have been required to abruptly convert to an online delivery model. Faculty need resources and support to transition face to face courses into an online format.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to highlight nursing faculty perceptions of the effectiveness of resources, support, and methodologies for online teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used to collect data about nursing faculty resources, support and methodologies used to transition at least one undergraduate or graduate degree nursing course to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

Eighty-four faculty who taught in ten university colleges of nursing used varied teaching methodologies in online courses, but included some consistent methods such as websites and web based tools. The student engagement strategies that faculty were most satisfied with were journal writing and projects. Most faculty reported having information technology support and access to instructional design resources.

CONCLUSION

Nursing faculty were resourceful, adaptive, and willing to use both novel and existing resources and methodologies to meet their teaching objectives and engage students. They were also, overall, satisfied with the administrative support they received from their respective institutions. Many of these resources, methodologies, and supports will continue to be used by faculty as likely more programs and courses will continue to be managed online.

Exploring the effectiveness of technology-based learning on the educational outcomes of undergraduate healthcare students: an overview of systematic reviews protocol

INTRODUCTION

Rapid technology development due to the introduction of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Internet of Things has created a demand and gradual transition from traditional teaching and learning to technology-based learning in higher education, including healthcare education. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this process, with educators now required to quickly adapt to and adopt such changes. The abundance of available systematic reviews has made the effectiveness of such approaches ambiguous especially in healthcare education. Therefore, a protocol of the overview of systematic reviews (OoSR) is planned to extrapolate the effectiveness of technology-based learning in undergraduate healthcare education.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Scopus, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection databases were selected. Screening was conducted independently by at least two authors and the decision for inclusion was done through discussion or involvement of an arbiter against a predetermined criteria. Included articles will be evaluated for quality using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review tools, while primary systematic review articles will be cross-checked and reported for any overlapping using the 'corrected covered area' method. Only narrative synthesis will be employed according to the predefined themes into two major dimensions-theory and knowledge generation (focusing on cognitive taxonomy due to its ability to be generalised across disciplines), and clinical-based competence (focusing on psychomotor and affective taxonomies due to discipline-specific influence). The type of technology used will be identified and extracted.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The OoSR involves analysis of secondary data from published literature, thus ethical approval is not required. The findings will provide a valuable insight for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers in terms of technology-based learning implementation and gaps identification. The findings will be published in several reports due to the extensiveness of the topic and will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conferences.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD4202017974.

Social Media Used and Teaching Methods Preferred by Generation Z Students in the Nursing Clinical Learning Environment: A Cross-Sectional Research Study

Generation Z nursing students have a distinctive combination of attitudes, beliefs, social norms, and behaviors that will modify education and the nursing profession. This cross-sectional research study aimed to explore the social media use and characteristics of Generation Z in nursing students and to identify what were the most useful and preferred teaching methods during clinical training. Participants were Generation Z nursing degree students from a Spanish Higher Education Institution. A 41-item survey was developed and validated by an expert panel. The consecutive sample consisted of 120 students. Participants used social media for an average of 1.37 h (SD = 1.15) for clinical learning. They preferred, as teaching methods, linking mentorship learning to clinical experiences (x¯ = 3.51, SD = 0.88), online tutorials or videos (x¯ = 3.22, SD = 0.78), interactive gaming (x¯ = 3.09, SD = 1.14), and virtual learning environments (x¯ = 3, SD = 1.05). Regarding generational characteristics, the majority either strongly agreed or agreed with being high consumers of technology and cravers of the digital world (90.1%, n = 108 and 80%, n = 96). The authors consider it essential to expand our knowledge about the usefulness or possible use of teaching methods during clinical learning, which is essential at this moment because of the rapidly changing situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Generational Differences in Faculty and Student Comfort With Technology Use

Background

Navigating through online education courses continues to be a struggle for some nursing students. At the same time, integrating technology into online courses can be difficult for nursing faculty.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess faculty technology integration practices, student attitudes about technology use, and generational differences related to faculty and student technology use.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to obtain data for this study.

Results

Integration of technology into online courses and student attitudes about technology use were not significantly different by generation. Faculty and students from the Baby Boomer and Generation X reported less comfort using technology and higher levels of anxiety using technology than did individuals from Generation Y.

Conclusion

Significant generational variations were not noted in relation to technology integration into courses and overall student attitudes about technology in this study, but differences were noted in relation to comfort with use of technology and anxiety when using technology. Student learning outcomes and satisfaction with learning may be influenced by the student’s comfort using technology and faculty’s confidence in integrating and using technology to provide online instruction.

Knowledge about hand hygiene in the Generation Z: A questionnaire-based survey among dental students, trainee nurses and medical technical assistants in training

Alcohol-based hand disinfection is the key measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections and nosocomial transmission of pathogens. We conducted a survey among dental students, trainee nurses and medical technical assistants in training from the Generation Z to determine their knowledge regarding hand hygiene and to optimize education. Overall knowledge was worthy of improvement. Females performed better than males. Specifically tailored efforts seem necessary to increase hand hygiene competence in the Generation Z.

The Ecofisio Mobile App for Assessment and Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Imaging for Undergraduate Health Science Students: Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Generation Z is starting to reach college age. They have adopted technology from an early age and have a deep dependence on it; therefore, they have become more drawn to the virtual world. M-learning has experienced huge growth in recent years, both in the medical context and in medical and health sciences education. Ultrasound imaging is an important diagnosis technique in physiotherapy, especially in sports pathology. M-learning systems could be useful tools for improving the comprehension of ultrasound concepts and the acquisition of professional competencies.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and use of an interactive platform accessible through mobile devices—Ecofisio—using ultrasound imaging for the development of professional competencies in the evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies.

Methods

Participants included 110 undergraduate students who were placed into one of two groups of a randomized controlled multicenter study: control group (ie, traditional learning) and experimental group (ie, Ecofisio mobile app). Participants’ theoretical knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ); students were also assessed by means of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Moreover, a satisfaction survey was completed by the students.

Results

The statistical analyses revealed that Ecofisio was effective in most of the processes evaluated when compared with the traditional learning method: all OSCE stations, P<.001; MCQ, 43 versus 15 students passed in the Ecofisio and control groups, respectively, P<.001. Moreover, the results revealed that the students found the app to be attractive and useful.

Conclusions

The Ecofisio mobile app may be an effective way for physiotherapy students to obtain adequate professional competencies regarding evaluation and diagnosis of sports pathologies.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04138511; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04138511

Several Ways Generation Z May Shape the Medical School Landscape

Just as medical colleges have adapted to the Millennial generation of students, a new generation is poised to enter as matriculants. Learner attributes of this generation, Generation Z, are in stark contrast to previous ones, but more than that, they provide new challenges that undergraduate universities are already facing. This article aims to highlight some of these challenges, including those relating to student counseling services, volunteering activities, learning environments, and learner perspectives. These challenges are framed and discussed within the context of medical education.