Facilitating scholarly writer development: the writing scaffold

Strategies to Strengthen Nursing PhD Enrollment: An Ecological Systems Perspective

BACKGROUND

Nurses with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree are essential to developing nursing knowledge, promoting health outcomes, and educating the next generation of nurses. Declining enrollment in nursing PhD programs calls for purposeful action. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Framework, this article outlines barriers and facilitators, and offers strategies to increase PhD enrollment.

METHOD

Extant literature and the authors' cumulative experiences in PhD education and research were reviewed to identify strategies to increase PhD enrollment.

RESULTS

Multilevel influences impede or facilitate enrollment in PhD programs. Strategies addressing individual and interpersonal influences included intentional personalized recruiting and early outreach to students at various levels of education. Institutional and organizational strategies included research partnerships and programs, and financial and infrastructure support. Sociocultural strategies included image branding and a positive social media presence supporting nurse scientists.

CONCLUSION

Strategies to enhance PhD enrollment across all levels can spark interest in nursing science and PhD enrollment. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(12):669-678.].

Learning pathways: Levelling, scaffolding & mapping curriculum

At one mid-sized research-intensive university in Western Canada, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program recently underwent significant curriculum revisions (Epp et al., 2021). A constructivist approach was adopted to create opportunities for students to align knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) with prior learning to build a deeper understanding (Vygotsky, 1978). In congruence with constructivist theory, faculty developed several learning pathways as curriculum planning tools to strategically sequence student learning outcomes, facilitate student achievement of program learning outcomes, and improve curriculum integrity. The faculty developed a conceptual model of a learning pathway and identified several key program outcomes that would benefit from a curriculum review to ensure these concepts were adequately covered across the nursing program. Each learning pathway details curriculum mapping of the levelling and scaffolding of specific concepts and content to facilitate students in the acquisition of KSA through a progressive approach (Gazza & Hunker, 2012; Maguire, 2013). This article will profile the BSN Scholarly Writing Pathway and the BSN Psychomotor Pathway as exemplars.

Scaffolding in Health Sciences Education Programmes: An Integrative Review

The complexity of health sciences programmes justifies scaffolding to support students in becoming competent health professionals. This article reports on an integrative review that aimed to describe the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes. Twenty-nine sources, inclusive of theoretical and empirical studies, were reviewed. The sequencing of educational activities, the application of scaffolding tools or resources, frameworks for applying scaffolding, modelling, and fading represented the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes. Awareness of the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes could contribute to enhancing competence development among students when applied across all learning platforms.

Discipline-Specific Writing Support in Graduate Nursing

BACKGROUND

Scholarly writing is an essential skill for a doctorally prepared nurse. Despite the importance of writing, there are limited data on how best to support students in the process of writing skill acquisition. This article describes the development, growth, and effects of a writing support program for graduate nursing students.

METHOD

A writing support program was initiated with a focus on providing discipline-specific support. Activities included oneon-one coaching, workshops, and collaboration with faculty to offer writing content within or alongside courses.

RESULTS

Student and faculty evaluations show the benefits of the writing support program to enhance student confidence and skill in writing.

CONCLUSION

Development of a writing support program has provided a valuable resource to graduate students and faculty in the school of nursing. Writing must be intentionally included in doctoral programs and supported with an array of practices including discipline-specific feedback. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(X):XXX-XXX.].

Standards for Scaffolding in Health Sciences Programmes: A Delphi Consensus Study

Introduction

Health sciences programmes operate in complex, unpredictable contexts, underscoring the need for comprehensive scaffolding of the learning processes. Yet, the scaffolding approaches remain fragmented, and lack a shared approach to how programmes could integrate scaffolding across the curricula. The literature argues that standards result in the comprehensive implementation of educational practices. There are no reported standards related to scaffolding practices in these programmes.

OBJECTIVES

To develop standards for scaffolding in health sciences programmes utilising a consensus approach through a modified Delphi Technique.

METHODS

Following the recommendations on Conducting and REporting of DElphi Studies (CREDES), an online modified Delphi technique was applied. Evidence on the application of scaffolding in health sciences programmes, obtained through an integrative review, was synthesised to draft standards. Using purposive and snowball sampling, an international panel from diverse geographical and professional backgrounds refined and validated the standards. Descriptive statistics was utilised to analyse demographic data and consensus agreements to include standards and criteria. Qualitative analysis of textual comments ensured the synthesis and inclusion of critical divergent views and additions.

RESULTS

A total of 22 experts from around the globe agreed to participate in the study and one did not complete Delphi surveys. Most experts (n = 18) held a PhD; and an average of 19 years of teaching in health sciences programmes. Four standards and 27 criteria were included after achieving consensus during the two Delphi surveys rounds. The included standards focused on four areas: structuring and sequencing educational activities, resources/tools for scaffolding, structuring the programme and instructional strategies to support learning.

CONCLUSION

The principle-based standards developed in this study could direct and support scaffolding practices in health sciences programmes. The standards' emphases on macro-, meso- and micro-scaffolding present numerous opportunities for designing and applying contextually sensitive scaffolding strategies at every level of curriculum implementation.

Scientific writing development: Improve DNP student skill and writing efficiency

BACKGROUND

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students lack sufficient opportunities to practice writing. Students and faculty require clear expectations and consistent feedback to improve skills.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated a rubric-driven scientific writing development program.

DESIGN

A mixed methods design was used.

SETTING

The study was conducted in a post-Master's DNP Program.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample included DNP students and faculty.

METHODS

The intervention was delivered to 10 students and writing proficiency was assessed over five semesters. Overall doctoral project quality and rigor were assessed at the end of the program and compared to a similar group of students (n = 20). Seven faculty and eight students participated in qualitative interviews.

RESULTS

Performance improved from Semesters 1 to 5; and though quality and rigor did not differ, the intervention group's final papers were more efficiently written with approximately 17 fewer pages and an average review time of eight fewer minutes than the comparison group. Participants identified the rubric, feedback, and scaffolding as helpful program components.

CONCLUSIONS

Scientific writing development is essential to DNP education. The intervention improved skill performance and writing efficiency.

Evaluating Scientific Writing Skill in DNP Program Students

BACKGROUND/PROBLEM

Scientific writing skill development interventions in nursing are widely represented in the literature, but the specific skills required are poorly defined and measured.

APPROACH

This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design to compare scientific writing skill assessment of doctor of nursing practice students' final project reports using 2 rubrics.

OUTCOMES

Of 13 skills, the strongest were: adherence to a standard structure, paraphrasing, and grammar, punctuation, and style. The weakest were: use of primary sources, concise, nonredundant presentation, and critical appraisal. Overall interrater agreement for the general essay writing rubric was 69.6%, and that for the scientific writing rubric was 82.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to the essay rubric, the scientific writing rubric was more useful for identifying skill strengths and weaknesses and improved interrater consistency.

The lived experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers

BACKGROUND

Nursing faculty are expected to disseminate scholarly work through publications, yet little is known about how faculty develop as scholarly writers.

PURPOSE

This manuscript discusses a hermeneutic phenomenological research study that uncovered the experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers.

METHODS

Audiotaped personal interviews were conducted with 12 nursing faculty to understand the lived experience of nursing faculty developing as scholarly writers. A 5-step data analysis process consistent with phenomenology was used to identify common themes.

RESULTS

Findings revealed five themes: pulling everything together, steering me in the direction, using feedback to grow, squeezing it in, and staying on task.

CONCLUSION

This study offers educators insight into the experience of faculty developing as scholarly writers and leads to recommendations for approaches that may be useful in writing development.

The Scholarship Circle: an introduction to writing for publication for nursing faculty

Background

This case report describes a collaborative effort between a health sciences librarian and an instructional designer to create and implement a writing professional development experience called the Scholarship Circle. It was aimed at increasing scholarly productivity by junior and nontenure-track faculty in a college of nursing.

Case Presentation

The Scholarship Circle activities were carried out in a synchronous and an asynchronous online environment over ten weeks and included weekly lectures from nurse-scholars, discussions and peer reviews, and writing support from the librarian. The Scholarship Circle designers surveyed participants before and after the course to explore faculty perceptions and conducted a bibliographic analysis to gauge increases in scholarly productivity.

Conclusions

While both tenure-track and nontenure-track faculty perceived lack of time as a significant barrier to publication, only nontenure-track faculty perceived lack of writing experience and getting started as significant obstacles. In the two years following the Scholarship Circle, faculty with doctor of philosophy and doctor of education degrees produced the greatest number of scholarly publications, whereas faculty with other degrees demonstrated a modest increase in scholarship. Online writing support programs have the potential to positively impact scholarly productivity for junior and nontenure-track faculty, especially if they emphasize time management for writing, confidence-building strategies, and a flexible format that allows peer review and collaboration as well as participation by seasoned scholars and remote participants. Partnership between health sciences librarians and instructional designers is key to the successful design and implementation of writing support programs.

Developing advanced practice nurse writing competencies as a corequisite for evidence-based practice

Writing competency is increasingly recognized as imperative for advanced practice nurses (APNs) who are engaged in evidence-based practice (EBP). Writing skills are an implied expectation inherent in many APN evidence-based practice competencies, such as "formulating evidence based policies and procedures," and "communicates best evidence …." A quality improvement project was implemented for APN's within a post-Master's Doctor of Nursing Practice program, to create a novel set of low-cost, high-impact strategies that could be embedded into a program of study to improve APN writing skills. Prior work has indicated that mentorship and peer support are useful strategies that can contribute to the enhancement of APN writing skills. This study builds on prior work to develop a quantitative evaluation of a peer-supported writing intervention for APNs. Read Aloud innovation was one of two strategies chosen from among many writing improvement strategies identified in the literature because of easy implementation, even by faculty who lacked confidence in providing traditional writing instruction. If explicit development of writing competencies is not elevated to a higher priority in APN education, suboptimal writing confidence is likely to continue across the professional lifetime and will present as a recurring challenge for APNs who pursue higher educational degrees, transition into faculty roles, or seek to fully develop APN EBP competencies. Findings from this study indicate that feedback received from peers during the structured Read Aloud innovation, with emphasis on hierarchy of paragraph sentences (i.e., explicit examination for overarching quality of the leading sentence), is effective in improving clarity and brevity of writing among APNs.

Testing the efficacy of a scaffolded writing intervention with online degree-completion nursing students: A quasi-experimental design

Writing should receive dedicated time in the nursing classroom for students to become competent writers, offering practical experiences for them to critically think and organize their ideas into meaningful messages. The purpose of this pre-post quasi-experimental study was to compare implementation of a scaffolded sequence of writing assignments (intervention) to typical writing assignments (comparison) in final coursework for baccalaureate nursing (BSN) completion students. Student writing self-efficacy and writing competency were measured pre and post coursework using the Post Secondary Writerly Self-Efficacy Scale, 6 + 1 Trait scale and Holistic scale. A convenience sample of 78 BSN-completion students at two Midwestern universities in the US were recruited to participate. The sample was primarily female (83%) and Caucasian (81%). There were no significant differences between the two groups on self-efficacy scores (p = 0.594). Significant group differences were noted on writing competency as assessed by the 6 + 1 Trait scale (p = 0.004) but not the Holistic scale (p = 0.024). No significant correlation between writing self-efficacy scores and writing competency were apparent (Holistic scale, p = 0.601; 6 + 1 Trait scale, p = 0.615). Writing skill-building needs attention to assure student competency. Educational interventions implemented in BSN education must be tested for efficacy and effectiveness.

MSN Students' Self-Assessed Use of the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes of Scholarly Writing

AIM

This study explored master of science in nursing students' self-assessed use of the evidence-based knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) of scholarly writing.

BACKGROUND

Understanding MSN students' self-assessed use of the KSAs of writing can help faculty better prepare MSN graduates to advance the science of nursing through scholarly writing.

METHOD

A descriptive correlational design was used to determine how a national sample of 76 MSN students assessed their ability to demonstrate the KSAs of scholarly writing and to determine associations between select demographic variables and the self-assessment results.

RESULTS

Participants were familiar with the KSAs of scholarly writing and used them with varying frequency. No associations were identified between demographic variables and the KSA self-assessment ratings.

CONCLUSION

Additional writing opportunities and inclusion of a variety of writing assignments could increase use of the KSAs and therefore facilitate the development of scholarly writing abilities needed to advance nursing.

Writing self-efficacy in nursing students: The influence of a discipline-specific writing environment

Aim

To explore if writing self‐efficacy improved among first‐year nursing students in the context of discipline‐specific writing. The relationship between writing self‐efficacy, anxiety and student grades are also explored with respect to various learner characteristics such as postsecondary experience, writing history, English as a second language status and online versus classroom instruction.

Design

A one group quasi‐experimental study with a time control period.

Method

Data was collected over the 2013–2014 academic year at orientation, start of writing course and end of writing course.

Results

Writing self‐efficacy improved from pre‐ to post writing course but remained stable during the time control period. Anxiety was negatively related to writing self‐efficacy but remained stable across the study period. Inexperienced students and students with less writing experience, appeared to over‐inflate their self‐assessed writing self‐efficacy early in the programme. This study gives promising evidence that online and classroom delivery of instruction are both feasible for introducing discipline specific writing.

Writing Across the Curriculum: Strategies to Improve the Writing Skills of Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Writing across the curriculum (WAC) is a strategy in which writing instruction occurs in classes outside of composition, literature, and other English courses. This literature review was conducted to identify and synthesize the peer-reviewed literature about WAC in nursing education.

METHODS

The team performed searches of MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL Plus With Full Text, and ERIC for articles published between January 2003 and April 2014. A combination of Medical Subject Heading terms (or equivalent) and keywords were used to create the database search strategies.

RESULTS

There were 48 articles that discussed WAC. Most of the papers described writing courses in nursing programs, strategies to teach writing to nursing students, and writing activities or assignments within nursing courses. High-level evidence examining the impact of writing strategies and exercises in courses and occurring across the curriculum was lacking. Only 18 (37.5%) of these papers were evaluative; most of the databased articles were either author observations or perceptions of changes in students' writing ability, or low-level research studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies, assignments, and courses intended to promote writing skills of nursing students were documented in this literature review; however, further evaluation is needed to determine which are most effective. Hawks Turner Derouin Hueckel Leonardelli Oermann.

Understanding the scholarly writing development of nurses enrolled in U.S. clinical doctoral programs

PROBLEM

Faculty teaching nurses enrolled in clinical doctoral programs need to understand the process of student scholarly writing development so that students can be prepared to share knowledge and communicate effectively in scholarly formats.

METHODS

A hermeneutic phenomenological study that sought to understand the scholarly writing development of nurses enrolled in a clinical doctoral program was conducted.

FINDINGS

Findings from interviews with six Doctor of Nursing Practice students revealed three themes: learning throughout life, influence of emotions, and getting through the gate.

CONCLUSION

Based upon these findings, recommendations for further development of doctoral student writing are suggested so that students can disseminate their knowledge in a scholarly manner, improve practice, and contribute to the profession.

Implementing a writing course in an online RN-BSN program

Scholarly writing is an essential skill for nurses to communicate new research and evidence. Written communication directly relates to patient safety and quality of care. However, few online RN-BSN programs integrate writing instruction into their curricula. Nurses traditionally learn how to write from instructor feedback and often not until midway into their baccalaureate education. Innovative strategies are needed to help nurses apply critical thinking skills to writing. The authors discuss a collaborative project between nursing faculty and technical communication faculty to develop and implement a writing course that is 1 of the 1st courses the students take in the online RN-BSN program.