Socialization of student nurses - the role of the mentor

The effect of creative drama on nursing image: Randomized controlled study

AIM

This study aimed to examine the effects of the creative drama method on first-year nursing students' perceptions of the image of nursing.

BACKGROUND

Nursing students' perceptions of professional image can be affected by many processes during their transition to professional life. Therefore, supporting their development of a positive professional image at the beginning of their careers is necessary.

DESIGN

This was a randomized controlled trial with a pre-test/post-test design and a control group.

METHODS

The study was carried out at a nursing school located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye. The sample of this study consisted of 77 participants, with 38 in the experimental group and 39 in the control group. The subjects of professional image and the image of nursing were explained to the control group using presentations and case analysis and to the experimental group using the creative drama method. Research data were collected with the Student Information Form and Nursing Image Scale.

RESULTS

The post-test scores obtained by the control group after receiving traditional education were higher than the pre-test scores. The post-test scores obtained by the experimental group after receiving education based on creative drama were higher than the pre-test scores. The scores of the experimental group were significantly higher after the educational intervention.

CONCLUSION

Creative drama is far more effective in nursing image education for first-year nursing students than presentation and case analysis, which are conventional education methods. Creative drama can be used as an effective method to develop positive perceptions of nursing.

Perceptions and experiences of psychological trauma in nursing and psychiatric nursing students: A small scale qualitative case study

Entry-level health care professionals are socialized to accept the norms and values associated with institutions in which violence and suffering is considered an anticipated and even routine and normalized part of frontline care. The objective of the study was to illuminate the subjective experience of psychological trauma in graduates from a baccalaureate nursing and psychiatric nursing program using the McGill Illness Narrative Interview, an ethnographic interview guide. Participants included graduates from each program in a western Canadian province who reflected back on their experiences of trauma as students and newly-graduated nurses within their first year of practice as a regulated health professional. Results: Six key themes were identified. Witnessing sudden change in patient or client status and unexpected death; Emotional labour; Faculty incivility; Sabotage, bullying and verbal abuse from the health care team; Exposure to physical violence and sexual inappropriateness; and Mobilizing supports. All exposures were linked to the participants’ definition of psychological trauma. Conclusions: The study findings highlight the power dynamic, abuses, and vulnerability between students, faculty, and their clinical counterparts without adequate recourse. There is a need to foster emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and resilience when potentially traumatic and stressful experiences occur with student nurse and early-career nursing populations.

An evaluation of nurses' experiences of mentoring pre-registration students

Nurse education in the UK has undergone a radical change over the past 30 years. The integration of nursing students within practice has evolved from an apprenticeship style to bespoke mentoring support. To act as mentors, registered nurses must have met stage 2 outcomes of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice, which clearly stipulate that mentors should have a reduced clinical commitment when supporting students, with one hour per week being protected, in addition to the 40% of time through direct or indirect supervision with their mentor/sign off mentor when facilitating a student on their final 12-week experience. However, this does not seem to be the case in reality. A qualitative study comprising six semi-structured interviews was undertaken across one health and social care trust. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. A number of themes and subthemes were identified: engagement (barriers versus strategies), support (inclusivity versus exclusivity), and lack of recognition (strategic versus organisational). Due to the expected changes of supervising and assessing nursing students in practice, it is imperative that an innovative, collaborative and engaged approach is facilitated from all key stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of supporting and assessing students by registered nurses and the safeguarding of the public within clinical practice.

Developing Nurses Through Mentoring: It Starts in Nursing Education

Faculty mentoring of undergraduate students is an essential and necessary component in helping students achieve exposure and success in cocurricular activities that they may not get in the classroom. It is through these cocurricular activities that faculty can expose students to the realms of various clinical activities, nursing research and education, and various service-related opportunities, such as tutoring and committee work. The intrinsic and extrinsic awards of watching your students succeed and grow into nursing leaders make mentoring worth it. This article outlines the benefits and difficulties experienced by 1 faculty member in his crusade to mentor undergraduate nursing students.

Collaborative Learning in Practice (CLIP): Evaluation of a new approach to clinical learning

BACKGROUND

There are challenges in creating positive clinical learning environments. A new model of practice learning for pre-registration nurse education was pilot-tested in the East of England. The Collaborative Learning in Practice model (CLIP) was developed from a similar model of practice learning used in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES

We undertook an evaluation of a new approach to clinical learning. The aims of the project were to consider the challenges of implementation; consider the perception of gains and losses of students and stakeholders experiencing the new model of practice learning; and consider the sustainability of the new model in the context of service delivery.

METHODS

Mixed methods were used. Data were collected in three forms: (1) a survey of students undertaking the CLIP model and those learning within the existing mentorship model to assess the supervisory relationships and pedagogical atmosphere experienced; (2) student focus groups; and (3) qualitative one-to-one interviews with key stakeholders in the provision of practice learning environments.

RESULTS

A total of 607 questionnaires were returned out of the 738 distributed, five focus groups of a total of 30 students were undertaken, and 13 stakeholders were interviewed. Students who had experienced CLIP reported lower supervisory relationship scores compared with those without experience (mean difference = -0.24 points, 95% CI -0.21 to -0.094, p = 0.001). There was no difference in pedagogical atmosphere scores (mean difference -0.085 points, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.040, p = 0.19). Analysis of qualitative data produced two themes: 'Adapting the environment' illustrated the importance of learning context and 'learning to fly' highlighted the process of students gaining greater autonomy.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that collaborative learning in practice offers many benefits as an approach to clinical learning but with important caveats. Attention needs to be paid to particular aspects of the model such as sufficient numbers of students, and an acknowledgement of perceived losses as well as gains.

Challenges and facilitators of professional socialization: A systematic review

AIMS

This current study aimed to present a review of the challenges and facilitators of professional socialization among undergraduate nursing students.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in Embase, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus in April and May 2018 for studies published in the English language. Four thousand three hundred fifty-two articles were retrieved. We conducted further screening for full-text articles after discarding duplicates and irrelevant studies. Finally, eight studies were included. The Joanna Briggs appraisal tools were used to appraise and evaluate study quality. The PRISMA guidelines were followed and a narrative synthesis used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Challenges and facilitators of professional socialization were identified and categorized into two major themes. Under each theme, results were grouped into three sub-themes: professional, personal and educational challenges/facilitators.

The influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students' learning outcomes

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students' learning outcomes in critical care units.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. Ten critical care nursing students were recruited from critical care units in the five private and two public hospitals. Descriptions of their experiences were gained through individual face-to-face interviews.

Findings

The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes. However, peer mentoring was not consistent in all hospitals and there were no structured support systems to ensure that peer mentoring was formalized. Making peer mentoring a vital component in the registered nurses core competencies would enable efficiency and guarantee the viability of peer mentoring.

Research limitations/implications

Mentors for the critical care nursing students were not included in the study.

Practical implications

The study identified a need for incorporating a formalized mentorship programme into the core competencies of all qualified critical care nurses, the unit mentor to familiarise themselves with the prescribed learning objectives of the critical care nursing student and an allocation of supernumerary time for the critical care nursing student and mentors to allow for formal mentoring responsibilities to take place.

Originality/value

The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes and conscietises registered nurses of their responsibility as mentors.

Supporting those who work and learn: A phenomenological research study

AIM

With a shift in the United Kingdom's National Health Service to organisational learning and the local introduction of the Assistant Practitioner role to support the nursing workforce there was a broad need to understand the lived experiences of those who work and learn.

METHOD

Hermeneutic phenomenology was the chosen methodology. A purposive sample of eight trainee assistant practitioners, four matrons, seven mentors and the practice development nurse participated in conversational interviews at intermittent points in the journey.

RESULTS

A stepped process of analysis produced three over-arching super-ordinate themes which indicated that the transition to assistant practitioner is non-linear and complex necessitating a change in knowledge and behaviour and the workplace culture must enable learning and role development. This paper focuses on supporting the journey which encompassed learning at university and learning in the workplace.

CONCLUSION

Participants' stories demonstrated the presence of knowledgeable mentors and a learning culture enabled new roles to be supported.

Perceptions of Support Networks During the Graduate-Assistant Athletic Trainer Experience

CONTEXT

The graduate-assistant position can be a highly influential experience because it is often the first time novice athletic trainers (ATs) are practicing autonomously.

OBJECTIVE

To gain an understanding of how graduate-assistant ATs (GAATs) perceive professional socialization and mentorship during their assistantships.

DESIGN

Semistructured phone interviews.

SETTING

Graduate-assistant ATs in various clinical settings.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-five GAATs (20 women, 5 men) studying in 1 of 3 academic tracks (postprofessional athletic training = 8, athletic training-based curriculum = 11, non-athletic training-based curriculum = 6). Median age was 24 years.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Phone interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis used principles of the general inductive approach. Credibility was maintained using peer review, field notes, and intercoder reliability.

RESULTS

Participants identified peer support throughout their experiences, in both academic and clinical settings. The GAATs frequently relied on other GAATs for support due to shared experiences and understanding of workloads. Participants described difficulty receiving supervisor support from full-time staff ATs due to the supervisors' workload and time constraints, limiting their availability for mentoring. Guidance from academic support personnel occurred only in athletic training-centered academic programs. Communication emerged as helpful for incoming GAATs; the previous GAATs provided formal mentorship via job descriptions highlighting role responsibilities and expectations. Differences between assistantship types were noted only in terms of receiving balanced mentorship between the academic and clinical staffs, such that students studying in postprofessional athletic training programs perceived more balanced support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm the literature regarding the GAAT's pursuit of continued formal mentoring. The GAATs perceived less support from full-time AT staff members due to limited availability. Therefore, GAATs leaned on their peers for support during the graduate experience.

Establishing and maintaining the clinical learning environment for nursing students: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Experience in the clinical setting is viewed as a crucial aspect of nursing education. Evidence suggests that students experience acceptance to alienation on the clinical unit. Little is known about preceptor beliefs underlying their approach with students, and the perspective of unit management is absent.

OBJECTIVES

To provide a description of the beliefs and processes that emerge at the unit level regarding the clinical learning environment for nursing students.

DESIGN

Multiple case study design.

SETTING

Four units from across an urban university health center who have a demonstrated ability to accept students.

PARTICIPANTS

A purposive sample of four nurse managers, four assistant nurse managers, three advanced practice nurses, and six staff nurses with recent and recurrent precepting experience were recruited from across four units.

METHODS

Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with all participants from each unit. Content analysis was used to identify major themes and categories in the interview data.

RESULTS

Two overarching themes were revealed: (1) Influencing factors included cultural factors and contextual factors that either inform units' beliefs about the ideal learning environment, or affect their ability to provide it. (2) Willingness refers to a willingness to invest in students and the forms that investment takes. It includes openness, taking them under wing, and structuring to meet goals. The influencing factors provide the foundation upon which the unit's work to accommodate students is built.

CONCLUSIONS

The degree to which a unit is able to manage the contextual factors determines how well they can shape the students' environment. The sturdiness of their culture with regard to hosting students determines the pervasiveness of their approach by staff on the unit.

Responsibilities of nursing schools with regard to peer mentoring

This article reports on the postgraduate critical care students' mentoring of the third-year undergraduate nursing students during integrated work-based learning in the critical care units. The purpose of the research was to describe what the nursing school could do to improve this mentoring programme. A qualitative descriptive design was used. The nominal group technique was used to gather data from the mentors and mentees. Data from the groups were combined and qualitatively analysed into themes. Thereafter the themes were quantitatively ranked. The themes, ranking from the highest to the lowest, were orientation, organisation, mentoring process, characteristics of the mentor, and feedback to the mentor. Findings suggest that the nursing school does not always optimally support the mentoring programme. It is recommended that more than one communication medium be used to disperse information among role-players. Nursing schools should develop mentors, monitor their interactions with mentees and give them feedback on their mentoring skills. It is also the responsibility of the nursing school to select mentors that match the desired profile of mentors.

A qualitative study exploring the impact of student nurses working part time as a health care assistant

BACKGROUND

National and international evidence indicates that university students engage in employment whilst studying. Research has suggested that nursing students either enter training with previous care experience or tend to work part time in a health related area whilst undertaking higher education. The impact of this on the socialisation process remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

Based on the symbolic interactionist framework, this paper reports on a theme from a large mixed methods study - the extent and implications of student nurses' work experience on learning and training.

DESIGN

One qualitative stage from a sequential exploratory mixed methods design.

SETTINGS

One higher education institution in the United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-five pre-registration nursing students.

METHODS

Thirty-two students took part in four focus groups and 13 took part in individual interviews.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that 27 (60%) of students were in paid nursing related employment. This was reported to be advantageous by most participants with regards to enhancing confidence, skills and time spent in the clinical setting. However, it was also perceived by a small number of participants as being detrimental to subsequent learning resulting in role confusion, influencing placement behaviour, and preferences for future nursing practice. Student participants with no prior work experience believed this placed them at a disadvantage, negatively influencing their learning, ability to fit in, and adjustment on placement. Findings have suggested that student participants desire more recognition of the experience and skills they have gained from their employment.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst care experience among the student nursing population is advocated, the results of this study show that it is perceived to impinged on their learning and educational journey. Policy makers, educationalists and health service providers need to be aware of the students who operate within the dual roles of student and health care worker so as to provide guidance and appropriate direction.

Undergraduate athletic training students' influences on career decisions after graduation

CONTEXT

Career opportunities for athletic training students (ATSs) have increased substantially over the past few years. However, ATSs commonly appear to be opting for a more diversified professional experience after graduation. With the diversity in available options, an understanding of career decision is imperative.

OBJECTIVE

To use the theoretical framework of socialization to investigate the influential factors behind the postgraduation decisions of senior ATSs.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

Web-based management system and telephone interviews.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-two ATSs (16 females, 6 males; age = 22 ± 2 years) who graduated in May 2010 from 13 different programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed inductively. Data analysis required independent coding by 2 athletic trainers for specific themes. Credibility of the results was confirmed via peer review, methodologic triangulation, and multiple analyst triangulation.

RESULTS

Two higher-order themes emerged from the data analysis: persistence in athletic training (AT) and decision to leave AT. Faculty and clinical instructor support, marketability, and professional growth were supporting themes describing persistence in AT. Shift of interest away from AT, lack of respect for the AT profession, compensation, time commitment, and AT as a stepping stone were themes sustaining the reasons that ATSs leave AT. The aforementioned reasons to leave often were discussed collectively, generating a collective undesirable outlook on the AT profession.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight the importance of faculty support, professional growth, and early socialization into AT. Socialization of pre-AT students could alter retention rates by providing in-depth information about the profession before students commit in their undergraduate education and by helping reduce attrition before entrance into the workforce.

Role of the mentor in the theatre setting

Mentorship has been present in healthcare for many years and much has been written about it. This article will explore the role of the mentor in the operating theatre in light of the new standards of mentor preparation.

Evaluating human, social and cultural capital in nurse education

Using the concepts of human, social and cultural capital this paper will review the literature on these theories and evaluate their application to nurse education in the United Kingdom (UK). Each concept will be explored before considering the impact and application within nurse education. Issues of sponsorship via mentoring and increased skills and contribution to the knowledge economy alongside the delivery of quality care by nursing students will be discussed with reference to theory and current policy drivers. As nursing education moves to a graduate profession in the UK this paper evaluates the drivers of human, social and cultural capital that affect this development.

Towards culturally relevant nursing education for aboriginal students

Aboriginal nursing students face numerous challenges in North American nursing educational programs, as reflected in the relatively high attrition rate of these students. In this paper, the authors argue that nurse educators need to create more culturally relevant curriculum and instructional approaches for Aboriginal students. Such approaches would help nursing educators to ensure that current aboriginal nursing programs--which are largely assimilative in nature--can be more successful and transformative in nature.

Navigating the labyrinth of Canadian undergraduate psychiatric nurse education

Historically, the education and training of psychiatric nurses in Canada have only been available within a psychiatric institutional setting or community college. This trend, however, has experienced a recent shift with the establishment of a Canadian undergraduate programme. This development is symbolic of the profession's evolution and serves three primary purposes. First, it continues to address the psychiatric nursing shortage; second, it provides additional educational and career opportunities for students; and third, it serves to advance the psychiatric nursing profession. This essay reflects on a decade of undergraduate psychiatric nurse education and discusses the salient challenges and needs of learners and educators.