Perspectives of Nurse Preceptors on a Web-based Clinical Pedagogy Program and Clinical Teaching: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

The Impact of an Online Preceptorship Training Program on Preceptor Self-Efficacy Among Nurse Case Managers Working in an Acute Care Setting

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

The U.S. health care system is experiencing a critical workforce shortage of nurse case managers exacerbated by an older workforce and looming retirements and the growth of this specialty. This quality improvement project aimed to develop an online case manager preceptor training program and examine its impact on the nurse case manager preceptors' self-efficacy.

PRACTICE SETTING

This project was implemented at a 395-bed acute care, community-based hospital in the northeast.

METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE

The target population for the intervention included a convenience sample of 13 nurse case managers who were assigned a preceptor role. The intervention was an abbreviated version of an online preceptorship program by Lippincott. The Preceptor Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.96, measured nurse preceptors' confidence in various skills including fostering critical thinking and providing feedback. Data from pre- and post-intervention PSEQ surveys were analyzed using a Wilcoxon rank sum test in SPSS version 28.

RESULTS

The Wilcoxon rank sum test revealed a statistically significant improvement in preceptor confidence scores ( p = .043) between pre- and post-intervention PSEQ results.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

This project demonstrated feasibility of an online nurse case manager preceptor training program while also identifying improved preceptors' self-efficacy. Future research can include investigating the impact of a preceptor training program on the nurse case manager learners receiving role training from the trained case manager preceptor.

A digital educational resource to support and enhance effective mentorship practices of nursing students in nursing homes: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

There is a grooving body of evidence emphasising the need to support and enhance effective mentorship practices for nursing students in nursing home placements, including strengthening of the pedagogical competence of registered nurse mentors. Owing to the necessity for multifaceted mentoring competence and the challenges of workload registered nurses are facing, the use of flexible digital educational resources has been suggested. However, current knowledge on the effectiveness of digital educational resources in enhancing mentorship practices in nursing homes is scarce. This study aimed to explore the perception of registered nurse mentors regarding the effectiveness of a digital educational resource, particular its usability and value-in-use in supporting and enhancing mentorship practices in nursing homes.

METHODS

The study applied an exploratory descriptive qualitative design. Pre- and post-mentoring semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted among a total of 23 registered nurse mentors across three Norwegian nursing homes. The transcribed interviews were thematically analysed. Standards for reporting qualitative research were followed.

RESULTS

The analysis yielded one pre-mentoring theme: (1) predominant enthusiasm and satisfaction and three post-mentoring themes: (2) enhanced confidence and motivation, (3) enhanced mentoring competence in supporting the nursing students' learning process, and (4) factors influencing the value-in-use of the digital educational resource.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital educational resources support effective mentorship practices by enhancing the confidence and motivation in the mentor role and by enabling more goal-oriented supervision and assessment tailored to the learning goals of students. The implementation of digital educational resources to support and enhance effective mentorship practices is an important avenue for further research towards achieving high-quality learning environments in clinical nursing education in general and nursing homes. Based on the study findings, nursing educational institutions should consider offering digital educational resources to develop, support, and advance mentorship training, which may more effectively impact and improve the quality of clinical nursing education.

The quality of verbal feedback given by nursing near-peer tutors: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Students' acceptance of peer feedback (PF) in health professions education has been mixed because of doubts about its quality and accuracy. Providing peer tutor (PT) training in giving effective feedback may increase the quality of PF.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the (1) quality and (2) accuracy of near-PF provided to first-year nursing students after simulated practice and (3) evaluate the discrepancies between what faculty, PTs and clinical staff teach about certain nursing skills by analysing PT-student feedback discussions.

DESIGN

Qualitative study using content analysis.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted in a simulation centre in a Singapore university during first-year undergraduate nursing students' laboratory lessons.

PARTICIPANTS

Near-PT (second- to fourth-year undergraduate nursing students).

METHODS

Near-PTs received virtual training on providing structured feedback. They provided in-person PF to first-year nursing students after simulated practice of a technical nursing skill. PF was audio recorded. Quality was determined by PTs' adherence to the proposed PF structure and the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare-Rater Version Short Form (DASH-RV-Short) scores. Directed content analyses were also conducted to qualitatively evaluate PF quality based on DASH-RV-Short, PF accuracy and discrepancies in content taught for each nursing skill.

RESULTS

Most PTs evaluated the skill chronologically or focused on the mistakes made instead of following the PF structure. DASH-RV-Short scores were 'good' for most elements because PTs gave specific suggestions and justified them, ensured students' psychological safety, and used effective verbal communication. PF was mostly accurate, but expectations relating to each nursing skill differed among the PTs, faculty and clinical staff.

CONCLUSIONS

With training, senior nursing students can provide specific and detailed feedback to their juniors, which may fill the gap for timely and specific feedback in health professions education. Future PT training programmes should clarify common variations and mistakes in skills performance to ensure PTs and faculty tutors agree on what students should learn.

A Meta-synthesis on Technology-Based Learning Among Healthcare Students in Southeast Asia

Healthcare education providers are eager to apply technologies in teaching and learning activities; however, students are the consumers in higher education, and their opinion and experience should be considered. We performed a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies to help inform our understanding of Southeast Asian healthcare students' perceptions and experience of technology-based teaching and learning in their education. Our search strategy located 1599 articles from a dozen electronic research databases. Articles were analyzed for quality using the Hawker's Evidence Appraisal Tool, and 23 qualitative studies were included in the final meta-synthesis. Technologies investigated largely involved online or blended learning, with fewer exploring virtual reality, simulations, telehealth, game-based learning, and videos. Three overarching themes were synthesized: (i) culture does matter in the implementation of technology-based learning; (ii) the values and limitations of technology used for learning; and (iii) technology is part of daily life and creates new challenges in education. Technology is an asset to enhance the learning experience, but educators must be aware of its limitations. Pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) studies were more focused on technology and product, and were optimistically reported, whereas COVID-19-spanning studies focused on life experience and paid more attention to reporting on the inherent challenges. The educational approaches, theories, cultural aspects, and availability of facilities all play a vital role in steering successful technology use in learning.