Role Modeling of Professional Behavior in Nursing Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Method Study

This study aimed to examine professional behavior as role models in nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic perceived by nursing students. This study applied a mixed-method design using a sequential explanatory approach. A total of 120 nursing students participated in the self-reported questionnaire, and 10 were involved in semistructured individual interviews. The Professional Nurse Educator Role-Model questionnaire developed by the authors was used to collect quantitative data, and four open-ended questions modified from a previous study as the guideline in qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis. Open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitatively, students reported that excellent professional behaviors as role models were prevalent in nursing education (Mean 3.61 out of 4). Four themes from qualitative findings were revealed to complement the quantitative data, including teaching by example, altruism, efficiently performing, and effective communication. In conclusion, nurses as educators and clinicians could be students' professional role models, particularly in clinical settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential for nurse educators and clinicians to actively create a culture of professional nursing care for self and others during the pandemic to be present in wholeness and provide holistic care.

Competency gap among graduating nursing students: what they have achieved and what is expected of them

BACKGROUND

Nurses' professional competencies play a significant role in providing safe care to patients. Identifying the acquired and expected competencies in nursing education and the gaps between them can be a good guide for nursing education institutions to improve their educational practices.

METHODS

In a descriptive-comparative study, students' perception of acquired competencies and expected competencies from the perspective of the Iranian nursing faculties were collected with two equivalent questionnaires consisting of 85 items covering 17 competencies across 5 domains. A cluster sampling technique was employed on 721 final-year nursing students and 365 Iranian nursing faculties. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that the highest scores for students' acquired competencies and nursing faculties' expected competencies were work readiness and professional development, with mean of 3.54 (SD = 0.39) and 4.30 (SD = 0.45), respectively. Also, the lowest score for both groups was evidence-based nursing care with mean of 2.74 (SD = 0.55) and 3.74 (SD = 0.57), respectively. The comparison of competencies, as viewed by both groups of the students and the faculties, showed that the difference between the two groups' mean scores was significant in all 5 core-competencies and 17 sub-core competencies (P < .001). Evidence-based nursing care was the highest mean difference (mean diff = 1) and the professional nursing process with the lowest mean difference (mean diff = 0.70).

CONCLUSION

The results of the study highlight concerns about the gap between expected and achieved competencies in Iran. Further research is recommended to identify the reasons for the gap between the two and to plan how to reduce it. This will require greater collaboration between healthcare institutions and nursing schools.

The effects of an ethics laboratory program on moral sensitivity and professional values in nursing students: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Recently, moral sensitivity and professional values have become increasingly important in nursing education and have been tried to be improved.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of an ethics laboratory program integrated with the fundamentals of nursing course on the moral sensitivity and professional values of nursing students.

DESIGN

The present study was designed as a randomized controlled study. The 8-week ethics laboratory program was applied to the students in the intervention group. In the ethics laboratory program, interactive education methods, such as ethical scenarios, case studies, roleplay, group discussions, project papers and watching movies, were applied. Control group received the standard fundamentals of nursing curriculum.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample size was determined using stratified block randomization method, and 100 nursing students were assigned to intervention (n = 50) and control group (n = 50).

RESULTS

There was no baseline difference between the groups. The moral sensitivity average of the students in the intervention (82.66 ± 12.57) was lower than the average of the control group (85.64 ± 16.83) after the ethics laboratory program; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p > .05). Similarly, there were no significant differences between the intervention (132.32 ± 16.83) and the control group (131.81 ± 20.55) regarding the average score of professional values. In the responsibility sub-dimension of professional values, there was a statistically significant increase in the intervention group (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the ethics laboratory program for nursing students is effective in promoting responsibility sub-dimension of professional values. However, there was no significant effect on students' moral sensitivity and other dimensions of professional values. Further refinements of interventional research in ethics education and measurement of learning outcomes should be developed.

Impact of Nursing Professionalism on Perception of Patient Privacy Protection in Nursing Students: Mediating Effect of Nursing Informatics Competency

In recent times, as the healthcare system becomes more informational, the importance of patient privacy protection increases, making it necessary to identify factors that affect the perception of patient privacy protection. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nursing professionalism and the perception of patient privacy protection and the mediating role of nursing informatics competency. The study recruited 242 nursing students who had experienced dealing with patient information during clinical practice. The mediating model using the Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) was employed to test the study hypothesis. Nursing professionalism was found to be positively and significantly associated with the perception of patient privacy protection (β = 0.09, p = 0.021) with the mediation of nursing informatics (β = 0.18, p < 0.001). Our findings showed that nursing professionalism and nursing informatics competency determined the perception of patient privacy protection. The mediating role of nursing informatics competency implies that curricula designed to enhance nursing informatics competency of nursing students may increase their perception of patient privacy protection.

Professional Identity in Graduating Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

This research examines the meaning of nursing professional identity development from the perspectives of both associate degree nursing students and baccalaureate degree nursing students in their final semester. It provides insight into the student's understanding of nursing professional identity and the factors students identified as supporting or detracting from it.

METHOD

Participants were guided through individual interviews using semistructured interview questions and later invited to focus groups with other students to clarify and elaborate on previous comments.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated both groups shared many descriptions of what it means to be a nursing professional, including knowledge, caring, team-work, and integrity. Good communication, confidence, competence, critical thinking, advocacy, and leadership were concepts the participants frequently used to describe the professional nurse.

CONCLUSION

This research helps to further the understanding of this significant topic in nursing education and to serve as a basis for student activities that help foster nursing professional identity formation. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(2):74-80.].

Gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and influence on students' willingness in older people nursing: A cross-sectional, correlational survey

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have focused on identifying the factors hindering nursing students' interest in gerontology careers, whereas others have suggested interventions to promote students' interest in older people nursing. However, the role of a teacher is equally vital in shaping students' career preference.

OBJECTIVE

This study therefore explored students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and its association with students' willingness to work in older people nursing.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional correlation study.

SETTING

Five Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

Undergraduate nursing students (N = 243).

METHOD

A self-administered survey using the Gerontological Nurse Teacher Scale (GeNTS) and the subscale (Willingness) of the Students' Interest in Nursing Older People Scale (SINOPS). Descriptive and inferential analysis were conducted using SPSS.

RESULTS

There was a moderate positive association (R = 0.25, N = 243, p = 0.000) between students' perspectives of their gerontological nurse teachers' abilities and students' willingness to work in older people nursing. The teachers' abilities to develop gerontological nursing course most influence students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.26, p = 0.001), whereas their knowledge and interest in gerontology, least influenced students' willingness in older people nursing (r = 0.14, p = 0.025). Also, the teachers abilities to address students' concerns about aging, promote gerontology careers, and demonstrate leadership skills in gerontology all had a similar statistically significant moderate positive association (r = 0.23, p = 0.001) with students' willingness to work in older people nursing.

CONCLUSION

Faculty need to ensure that there is adequate personal with expertise in gerontological nursing to advocate for resources to establish a reputable gerontological nursing profile in nursing curriculum and to develop and sustain a positive attitude towards older people nursing among students and staff. A qualitative study is needed to understand the reasons behind students' ratings.

Professional identity: A concept analysis

The purpose of this study is to give clarity to the concept of professional identity, drawing from health-related fields to help provide a common language and understanding for research and practice. Professional identity, professionalism, professional socialization, and other related terms are often used without a clear definition or with conflicting definitions. This can lead to misunderstandings and assumptions that complicate research and confuse educators and professionals in guiding novice members. Concept analysis. Initially, 737 articles were identified by searching CINAHL, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Academic Search Complete, PsyINFO, and SocINDEX for the period 2000 to 2019. Finally, 68 studies met the inclusion criteria, 60 of which are discussed in this concept analysis. This concept analysis uses the method described by Walker and Avant. This concept analysis clarifies the definition of professional identity, using literature from health and related professions, as containing the attributes: skills and functions; knowledge values and ethics; personal identity; group identity; and the influence of the context of care. A more clear definition of professional identity will help researchers to have more precision in their analyses and provide mentors and educators with a clear goal.

English-to-Spanish Translation of the Nijmegen Professionalism Scale

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The aim of this investigation was to perform the cross-cultural and linguistic translation and adaptation of the Nijmegen Professionalism Scale for Spanish nursing. Originally designed by Tromp et al. (2010) for its use by general practitioners, the new Spanish version of this tool assesses professional commitment, allowing for the comparison, prevention, association, and longitudinal monitoring of commitment among nursing professionals.

METHODS

The linguistic translation from English to Spanish was performed using the translation-back-translation method; the process of cross-cultural adaptation to the Spanish nursing context was carried out following the recommendations given by a panel of experts comprised of 24 practicing nurses with different professional backgrounds. The data for the feasibility study were collected between December 2015 and January 2016.

RESULTS

The original English version of the instrument contains 106 items and was originally developed for assessing professional behavior of general practitioner trainees; the new version, with a significant reduction in the initial number of items, comprises 49 items and is now ready for pilot testing and validation in our context.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The Nijmegen Professionalism Scale in its Spanish version will act not only as a tool for measuring professional commitment among Spanish nurses but also as a motivational resource and means for reflection which will, in turn, increase the quality of the care provided by these professionals.

Professional Image and the Nursing Uniform

BACKGROUND

Traditional nursing uniforms have evolved and influenced nursing image, but professional image in nursing is unique and unclear. Institutional policies dictate uniform and appearance standards that portray professionalism in health care environments.

METHOD

Nurses were questioned using three structured open-ended questions about the nursing uniform and its effects on patients' perceptions of professionalism. Qualitative line-by-line analyses of transcribed data were conducted to identify emerging themes using van Manen's phenomenology.

RESULTS

Participants wore varying uniforms while in nursing school. The influences of uniform evolution on patients' perceptions of professionalism were acknowledged along with current challenges in maintaining a professional image in nursing.

CONCLUSION

Findings will be used for future exploration of the concept of professional image to improve educational practices that promote a professional work environment and professional image for the discipline. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(12):555-557.].

Wound care evidence, knowledge and education amongst nurses: a semi-systematic literature review

The aims of this study were to determine the knowledge and skills of nurses involved in wound care, to provide a critical overview of the current evidence base underpinning wound care and to determine the extent of utilisation of existing evidence by nurses involved in the management of wounds in practice. A semi-systematic review of the literature was undertaken on Cinahl, Medline Science Direct and Cochrane using the search terms: wound, tissue viability, education, nurse, with limitations set for dates between 2009 and 2017 and English language. Shortfalls were found in the evidence base underpinning wound care and in links between evidence and practice, prevalence of ritualistic practice and in structured education at pre- and post-registration levels. The evidence underpinning wound care practice should be further developed, including the conduction of independent studies and research of qualitative design to obtain rich data on both patient and clinician experiences of all aspects of wound management. More structured wound care education programmes, both at pre-registration/undergraduate and professional development levels, should be established.

A concept analysis of professional commitment in nursing

BACKGROUND

The concept of professional commitment is being widely studied at present. However, although it is considered an indicator for the most human part of nursing care, there is no clear definition for it, and different descriptors are being used indiscriminately to reference it.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to clarify the concept of professional commitment in nursing through the Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis process.

DESIGN

Systematic search using English and Spanish descriptors and concept analysis. Studies published between 2009 and June 2015, front-to-back analysis of the Nursing Ethics journal and manual check of articles cited in studies related to the Nijmegen Professionalism Scale.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The procedure of concept analysis developed by Rodgers was used.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Although the topic was not labeled as sensitive and subject to ethical approval, its realization was approved by the Ethical Committee of Clinical Research of Aragon (CEICA) approved the study on 18 March 2015 and also careful procedures have been followed according to ethics expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

A total of 17 published studies. A clear definition of the concept was made, and surrogate terms, concept dimension, differential factors related to the concept, sociocultural variations and consequences for nursing practice were identified.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for continuous advancement in the development of the concept, specific actions to encourage this and the improvement of evaluation methods for its study.

Novice Physician Assistant Learning During the Transition to Practice: A Q Study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe how novice physician assistants (PAs) transfer learning from formal training into clinical practice.

METHODS

This Q study was conducted as a part of a larger mixed-interpretive investigation of the experiences of novice PAs during the first 2 years of practice. A set of 45 statements was naturally sampled from 10 previously conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with novice PAs. Fifteen different novice PAs then sorted the statements. The data were analyzed using by-person factor analysis (Q methodology). The resultant factor array was used to generate a summary, a sketch, and a monologue for each shared social perspective.

RESULTS

Three shared social perspectives concerning transfer of learning during the transition to practice emerged: (1) partnership, (2) self-reliant, and (3) insecure perspectives. Novice PAs sharing the partnership perspective experienced few, if any, individual or environmental obstacles to transfer of learning. Novice PAs sharing the self-reliant perspective experienced environmental obstacles-but few, if any, individual obstacles-to transfer of learning. Novice PAs who shared the insecure perspective experienced both individual and environmental obstacles to transfer of learning.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study describe variability in the novice PA experiences of learning transfer during the first 2 years of practice. The results have implications for PA educators and those involved in helping novice PAs develop as clinicians.

How Activism Features in the Career Lives of Four Generations of Canadian Nurses

Recent nursing research using a critical feminist lens challenges the prevailing view of political inertia in nursing. This comparative life history study using a critical feminist lens explores the relevance of activism with four generations of Canadian nurses. Purposeful sampling of Ontario nurses resulted in 40 participants who were diverse in terms of generation, practice setting, and activist practice. Interviews and focus groups were completed with the sample of Ontario registered nurses or undergraduate and graduate nursing students: 8 Generation X, 9 Generation Y (Millennials), 20 Boomers, and 3 Overboomers. Factors such as professional norms and personal and organizational supports shaped contradictory nursing activist identities, practices, and impacts. Gendered norms, organizational dynamics, and the political landscape influenced the meanings nurses attributed to critical incidents and influences that prompted activism inside and outside the workplace, shaping the transformative potential of nursing. Despite its limitations, the study has implications for creating professional and organizational supports for consideration of health politics and policy, and spaces for dialogue to support practice and research aligned with social justice goals.

Nurses' human dignity in education and practice: An integrated literature review

BACKGROUND

Human dignity, as a fundamental human right and a moral obligation, has been emphasized in different fields of nursing. The aim of the present integrative review was to explore the nature of nurses' human dignity in educational and clinical settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature review was conducted on quantitative and qualitative research papers in English and Persian using the PubMed, ProQuest, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar, SID, and Irandoc databases from the year 2000 to 2013. Keywords for the search included dignity, nursing, faculty, nurse clinicians, nursing student, and humanism. In total, 12 research papers met the inclusion criteria for the integrative review.

RESULTS

From this review, four key themes emerged. The themes consisted of concept of human dignity (it was as an expression of the professional value in nursing settings), factors affecting human dignity (including respect, communication, autonomy and power, competency and ability, structure of the workplace, and value-based education), dimensions of human dignity (including intrinsic and professional domains), and consequences of human dignity [positive (individual and professional growth and caring professional behavior) and negative (loss of motivation, intention to leave the profession, and non-professional image of nursing in the minds of people)].

CONCLUSIONS

The small number of studies found for the review indicates the need for further research in the field of nurses' dignity. Recognizing nurses' dignity can help to improve the nursing practice and provide them a dignified workplace.

Case-based learning: What traditional curricula fail to teach

BACKGROUND

Case-based learning seeks to contextualize learning and to enhance the transition of nurses to practice. This instructional approach is gaining widespread interest in nursing education since the unfolding process emulates the work environment. Case-based learning holds great promise to the development of professional skills. An assumption that was worth researching to determine what those skills are.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed at exploring perceptions of nursing students who had completed two undergraduate nursing courses using case-based learning to be able to identify professional skills that may be gained by this instructional approach.

DESIGN

The qualitative focus group research technique was used to explore the perceptions of 16 nursing students who used CBL in two adult health nursing courses in the junior year of an undergraduate nursing program in Beirut, Lebanon. The sample was divided into three groups of four to six students each.

METHOD

Thematic analysis using cross-group analysis and inductive constant comparison.

FINDINGS

The analyzed data converged on three learning practices that were developed by the case study approach: (a) recognizing the particulars of a clinical situation, (b) making sense of patient data and informing decisions, and (c) reflection. In-depth analysis of these practices helped unravel four professional attributes that form the tenets of case-based learning: (1) a salience of clinical knowledge, (2) multiple ways of thinking, (3) professional self-concept, and (4) professional caring.

CONCLUSION

Since professional skills are developmental in nature, educational programs may play an active role in the skill acquisition process. In search of those ineffable skills, four professional attributes emerged from the study findings. Findings support concerns of higher education regarding the ability of the traditional curriculum to meet the expectations of employers at the workplace.

Factors influencing development of professional values among nursing students and instructors: a systematic review

Introduction:

Professional values are standards of behavior for performance that provide a framework for appraising beliefs and attitudes that influence behavior. Development of professional values has been a continuous and long process and it is influenced by different factors. The aim of this study is “assessing different factors influencing development of professional values among nursing students and instructors”.

Method:

In this systematic review, a broad research was performed to find articles from Persian and English databases: pub Med, Pro quest, Elsevier, SID, Google scholar, Ovid and Iran Doc; nursing student, instructors, ethics, professional value, ethical value and educators were used as the key words. Among 3205 achieved articles, by eliminating repeated ones, 22 articles were assessed during the period 1995–2013. Data achieved from the articles were summarized, categorized and analyzed based on the research question.

Results:

In this study “education and achieving professional experiences”, “Students and instructors’ perspectives on professional values”, “the role of culture in considering and developing professional special values” and “the effect of learners’ individual characteristics” were extracted as the four main themes.

Conclusion:

Considering the effect of educational, cultural and individual factors in developing nurses’ professional values; it is recommended to the educational and health centers to consider value-based cares in clinical environments for the patients in addition to considering the content of educational programs based on ethical values in the students’ curriculum.