A Labor Support Workshop to Improve Undergraduate Nursing Students' Understanding of the Importance of High Touch in a High-Tech World

Teaching Strategies for Nonpharmacological Pain Management to Nursing Students

BACKGROUND

Pain management is an essential concept to be integrated throughout undergraduate nursing curricula. Many studies have identified a lack of knowledge in pain assessment and management among nurses. Educators have significant roles in preparing students with pain knowledge and application of alternative nonpharmacological pain management techniques.

AIM

The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of instruction on nonpharmacological pain management techniques in both didactic and simulated laboratory settings on nursing students' application of these techniques in clinical settings.

DESIGN

A mixed-method descriptive study, with a survey that included closed and open-ended questions.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample included 144 first-semester senior prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students.

METHOD

Investigators developed two research questionnaires. All students were given nonpharmacological pain management instruction didactically and practiced in the simulation lab and a hospital-based obstetrical practicum under faculty supervision. The students completed research questionnaires at the semester's conclusion and again prior to graduation.

RESULTS

Students reported that they implemented taught nonpharmacological pain management techniques in the clinical setting under faculty supervision. A review of the follow-up questionnaire indicates that graduating seniors did implement the nonpharmacological pain management techniques in other clinical settings and plan to utilize them in their future nursing practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Teaching nonpharmacological pain management techniques didactically, in a simulation lab and a supervised clinical setting contributes to students' ability to apply these techniques. The findings of this study have implications for nursing education and students' future clinical practice to foster their utilization of nonpharmacological pain management techniques across all settings.

Concerns of Prelicensure Nursing Students Before a Maternal-Newborn Clinical Rotation

OBJECTIVE

To describe the concerns of prelicensure nursing students before their clinical rotation in the maternal-newborn setting.

DESIGN

Qualitative descriptive design with one open-ended survey question.

SETTING/PROBLEM

A private U.S. Midwest master's entry prelicensure nursing program. Students' concerns before beginning a maternal-newborn clinical rotation have not been fully explored in the literature and may differ from those reported by students in other clinical rotations. If not addressed, these concerns could negatively affect the clinical learning experience and hinder student success.

PARTICIPANTS

Prelicensure nursing students enrolled in the Nursing Care of Women and Newborns course at an urban graduate college of nursing.

INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENTS

On the first day of the course, students were asked to write on an index card their most pressing concern related to their upcoming maternal-newborn rotation. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Course directors analyzed the responses for themes and further divided them by setting: labor and birth, newborn, postpartum, generalized (concerns across maternal-newborn clinical areas), and miscellaneous (nonclinical concerns).

RESULTS

A total of 130 concerns were reported by 125 students. Of these concerns, 47% (n = 62) were related to labor and birth, and 4.6% (n = 6) were related to caring for newborns; 40% (n = 51) were general clinical concerns, and 8.5% (n = 11) were of a nonclinical nature. No students in this study expressed concern about being assigned to care for individuals on the postpartum unit. Although some concerns were similar to those reported previously in the literature, others were unique to the maternal-newborn setting.

CONCLUSION

Prelicensure nursing students have concerns that are unique to the maternal-newborn setting. When student concerns are known before clinical rotations, course faculty, clinical instructors, and staff nurses can adapt strategies to reduce stress and improve the clinical learning environment for students so that they can be successful.