Mastery learning in a bachelor's of nursing program: the Roseman University of Health Sciences experience

Enabling Factors for the Implementation of Competency-Based Curricula in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

OBJECTIVES

To review the implementation drivers of competency-based pharmacy education (CBPE) and provide recommendations for enablers.

FINDINGS

Competency-based education is an emerging model in the health professions, focusing on time-variable competency development and achievement compared with a time-bound, course-based, traditional model. CBPE is an outcomes-based organized framework of competencies enabling pharmacists to meet health care and societal needs. However, challenges need to be recognized and overcome for the successful implementation of CBPE. Competency drivers include defining the competencies and roles of stakeholders, developing transparent learning trajectories and aligned assessments, and establishing lifetime development programs for stakeholders. Organization drivers include developing support systems for stakeholders; facilitating connections between all educational experiences; and having transparent assessment plans, policies, and procedures that align with core CBPE precepts, including the sustainability of time-variability. Leadership drivers include establishing growth mindset and facilitating a culture of connection between workplace and educational environments, program advocacy by institutional leaders, accepting failures as part of the process, shifting the organizational culture away from learner differentiation toward competence, and maintaining sufficient administrative capability to support CBPE.

SUMMARY

The successful implementation of CBPE involves enabling the competency, organization, and leadership drivers that will lead to program success. More research is needed in the areas of creation, implementation, and assessment of CBPE to determine success in this model. We have reviewed and provided recommendations to enable the drivers of successful implementation of CBPE.

Innovative use of a flipped-classroom approach to teach fundamental nursing skills

Prelicensure nursing students are required to master fundamental nursing skills. The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges in maintaining excellence while teaching skill acquisition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate skill validation scores and student satisfaction and self-confidence using a flipped classroom approach and a low-fidelity simulation model to innovatively teach skill acquisition. Researchers used a quasi-experimental method to compare skill validation scores of a control group and intervention group using independent samples t-test. Researchers also evaluated whether prelicensure nursing students had satisfaction and self-confidence with this teaching strategy. Findings suggested that skills validations scores were no different using a flipped-classroom approach than in-person instruction. Prelicensure nursing students were satisfied and self-confident following the implementation of this teaching strategy. This teaching strategy has the potential to decrease in-person clinical practice time, provide alternative opportunities for clinical make-up and remediation, and decrease cost.

Student Success Through Mastery Learning in a Nursing Health Assessment Course

BACKGROUND

A nurse's ability to assess a patient is foundational to practice. The educational theory of mastery learning can be applied to teach physical assessment in nursing to define standards, provide feedback, and encourage a baseline level of student competence required in the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing's Essentials.

METHOD

A baccalaureate nursing health assessment course was redesigned in mastery learning to include detailed rubrics, faculty exemplar videos, and laboratory time for practice. Student-produced physical assessment videos served as formative assessments for each body system.

RESULTS

Six students did not reach the assigned mastery level on one of the formative assessments, allowing for quick identification and remediation. All of the students passed the end-of-course physical assessment examination, meeting the goal of the course redesign.

CONCLUSION

Mastery Learning Theory allowed all students to practice skills, receive feedback, and gain confidence to master physical assessment. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(12):720-723.].

Improving performance and self‐efficacy of novice nurses using hybrid simulation‐based mastery learning

AIM

Acute chest pain is a commonly encountered symptom in hospital medical/surgical units; however, almost half of nurses in their second year of clinical experience in our facility have reported struggling to care for acute chest pain patients. We developed, implemented, and examined the effectiveness of a simulation-based, mastery learning clinical nursing educational program to improve self-efficacy and performance in caring for patients with acute chest pain.

METHODS

The study adopted a single-site, single-cohort design using simulation-based performance assessment and self-efficacy surveys on a convenience sample of 37 second-year clinical nurse participants in multi-stage hybrid mastery learning educational intervention using asynchronous e-learning, and hands-on simulation training and assessment with feedback on caring for chest pain patients. Performance assessments and self-efficacy surveys were administered pre-, post-, and 5 months post-intervention.

RESULTS

Clinical performance on the post- and 5 months follow-up assessments were significantly higher than those for the pre-test (P < .0001). The self-efficacy scores for the post- and the 5 months follow-up assessments were significantly higher than the pre-course scores (P < .0001). Participants' self-efficacy perceptions were positively correlated with their performances at 5 months post-intervention.

CONCLUSION

Performance and self-efficacy of novice nurses in caring for acute chest pain patients improved significantly with the multi-stage hybrid mastery learning educational intervention, with improvements retained 5 months post-intervention. The results suggest the applicability of simulation-based mastery learning in a clinical setting for novice nurses to attain specific skills, and raise their self-perception of competence to care for patients in acute settings.

Simulation-Based Mastery Learning to Facilitate Transition to Nursing Practice

BACKGROUND

Simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) was developed and implemented to facilitate nursing students' transition to clinical practice.

PURPOSE

To evaluate nursing students' perspectives on the impact of SBML on their transition to clinical practice.

METHOD

A descriptive qualitative study using focus group discussions was conducted with final-year nursing students who had completed their clinical practicum and SBML.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: authenticity of simulations, whereby students were able to draw some parallels between their simulations and clinical experiences; self-efficacy in clinical practice, which was gained through deliberate practice; and application of cognitive tools, which provided mental frameworks to guide clinical performances.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the need to ensure the fidelity of the simulations to achieve authentic experiences, provide deliberate practice to develop self-efficacy, and use cognitive tools for mental model formation to create a high-quality SBML program to foster better transfer of simulation learning to real-life setting.

Nursing Education in a Real-Life Context: The Teaching Ward Round

Education in nursing is continually changing. The didactic methods used in other fields may be useful for closing the gap between theoretical learning and the reality of practical nursing. This study aimed to determine the association between a teaching model centered on the reality of nursing care, which is individualized to each context, and knowledge acquisition. A controlled experimental study was conducted with random allocation to two groups of students in their second year of a nursing degree (University of Jaén). The control group undertook practical work placements according to the traditional model. The intervention group participated in a “teaching round” during their practical placements. Knowledge tests were conducted after the placements. No significant differences were found for age or education level between the students of the control group (n = 46) and the intervention group (n = 48). In terms of the association between participation in the teaching round and the knowledge test (maximum score of 10), the mean grade in the intervention group was 8.83 ± 0.22, while it was 7.68 ± 0.23 in the control group (p = 0.001). The teaching round increased the student’s acquisition of knowledge, even though this was not reflected in the global grade of the course.

Simulation-based mastery improves nursing skills in BSc nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Clinical education is an essential part of nursing education. Selected clinical teaching methods influence the quality of education. Simulation-based mastery learning has been used to improve clinical skills among nursing students and may provide a novel way to enhance nursing skills. This study aimed to assess the effect of simulation-based mastery learning on the clinical skills of undergraduate nursing students from 2017 to 2019.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups (the control and intervention). A hundred and five students were selected by random convenience sampling, and written consent was obtained. The intervention group participated in a simulation-based mastery learning intervention, and the control group received no intervention except for traditional training. The students of both groups completed the demographic information questionnaire and the checklist before and after the intervention. The results were analyzed by SPSS version 21 and descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

The results showed no significant differences between the two groups before the intervention (p> 0.05). In addition, students' performance in the intervention and control groups improved significantly at the post-test compared with the baseline (p< 0.05). Furthermore, the Cohen test implied that the simulation-based mastery model used by the intervention group was significantly more effective than the traditional training used by the control.

CONCLUSION

These findings showed that mastery learning was more effective in improving clinical skills in undergraduate nursing students. The results suggest that other nursing and health programs can be developed by implementing a mastery-based learning model.