Mechanisms of school-based peer education interventions to improve young people's health literacy or health behaviours: A realist-informed systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Peer education interventions are widely used in secondary schools with an aim to improve students' health literacy and/or health behaviours. Although peer education is a popular intervention technique with some evidence of effectiveness, we know relatively little about the key components that lead to health improvements among young people, or components that may be less helpful. This review aims to identify the main mechanisms involved in school-based peer education health interventions for 11-18-year-olds.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched for eligible studies during October 2020, an updated search was then conducted in January 2023 to incorporate any new studies published between November 2020 and January 2023. To be included in the review, studies must have evaluated a school-based peer education intervention designed to address aspects of the health of students aged 11-18 years old and contain data relevant to mechanisms of effect of these interventions. No restrictions were placed on publication date, or country but only manuscripts available in English language were included.

RESULTS

Forty papers were identified for inclusion with a total of 116 references to intervention mechanisms which were subsequently grouped thematically into 10 key mechanisms. The four most common mechanisms discussed were: 1) Peerness; similar, relatable and credible 2) A balance between autonomy and support, 3) School values and broader change in school culture; and 4) Informal, innovative and personalised delivery methods. Mechanisms were identified in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods intervention evaluations.

DISCUSSION

This study highlights a number of key mechanisms that can be used to inform development of future school-based peer education health interventions to maximise effectiveness. Future studies should aim to create theories of change or logic models, and then test the key mechanisms, rather than relying on untested theoretical assumptions. Future work should also examine whether particular mechanisms may lead to harm, and also whether certain mechanisms are more or less important to address different health issues, or whether a set of generic mechanisms always need to be activated for success.

Pharmacy Students' Perspective on Business Management for the Community Pharmacist

OBJECTIVE

Pharmacy students are important future stakeholders in community pharmacy, with business management being an integral part of practice. Thus, this study aims to determine pharmacy students' perceptions of the business management skills required of the community pharmacist and how these skills should be taught within the pharmacy curriculum.

METHODS

An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design involved the administration of an online survey to pharmacy students in years 1 and 4 across 2 Australian universities, followed by focus groups to gather in-depth perceptions. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and associations between years 1 and 4 and outcomes were explored. A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used for focus group transcriptions.

RESULTS

A total of 51 pharmacy students responded to the online survey, with 85% agreeing that business management is an essential part of the community pharmacist's skill set. Students indicated a preference for learning management during their community pharmacy placement, university workshops, and via mentorship. Although thematic analysis of student focus groups revealed a preference for learning clinical skills during their university education, business management was also recognized as important. Enthusiasm for management, however, could be increased by exposure to mentors who display leadership and are passionate about business management.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy students considered business management as intrinsic to the role of community pharmacists and recommended a multimethod teaching approach to learning these skills. These findings could be used by pharmacy educators and the profession to inform both the content and the delivery of business management in pharmacy curricula.

Implementation of a Student Success Seminar and its Correlation with Resilience in Nursing Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

AIM

To identify sustainable curricular practices that promote student resilience.

METHOD

Sophomore students in a four-year baccalaureate nursing program attended a positive psychology seminar and a formal mentoring program led by senior- and junior-level nursing students. Sophomore students 'resilience was measured pre- and post-intervention using the Predictive 6-Factor Resilience Scale (PR6). Additional rich descriptions from the experience of the mentoring program were obtained in surveys from the study participants and mentors at the completion of the program.

FINDINGS

Quantitative and qualitative results supported a strong increase in resilience.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Nursing schools can provide students with sustainable support that promotes resilience.

School-based peer education interventions to improve health: a global systematic review of effectiveness

INTRODUCTION

Peer education, whereby peers ('peer educators') teach their other peers ('peer learners') about aspects of health is an approach growing in popularity across school contexts, possibly due to adolescents preferring to seek help for health-related concerns from their peers rather than adults or professionals. Peer education interventions cover a wide range of health areas but their overall effectiveness remains unclear. This review aims to summarise the effectiveness of existing peer-led health interventions implemented in schools worldwide.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched for eligible studies in October 2020. To be included, studies must have evaluated a school-based peer education intervention designed to address the health of students aged 11-18-years-old and include quantitative outcome data to examine effectiveness. The number of interventions were summarised and the impact on improved health knowledge and reductions in health problems or risk-taking behaviours were investigated for each health area separately, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess quality.

RESULTS

A total of 2125 studies were identified after the initial search and 73 articles were included in the review. The majority of papers evaluated interventions focused on sex education/HIV prevention (n = 23), promoting healthy lifestyles (n = 17) and alcohol, smoking and substance use (n = 16). Papers mainly reported peer learner outcomes (67/73, 91.8%), with only six papers (8.2%) focussing solely on peer educator outcomes and five papers (6.8%) examining both peer learner and peer educator outcomes. Of the 67 papers reporting peer learner outcomes, 35/67 (52.2%) showed evidence of effectiveness, 8/67 (11.9%) showed mixed findings and 24/67 (35.8%) found limited or no evidence of effectiveness. Of the 11 papers reporting peer educator outcomes, 4/11 (36.4%) showed evidence of effectiveness, 2/11 (18.2%) showed mixed findings and 5/11 (45.5%) showed limited or no evidence of effectiveness. Study quality varied greatly with many studies rated as poor quality, mainly due to unrepresentative samples and incomplete data.

DISCUSSION

School-based peer education interventions are implemented worldwide and span a wide range of health areas. A number of interventions appear to demonstrate evidence for effectiveness, suggesting peer education may be a promising strategy for health improvement in schools. Improvement in health-related knowledge was most common with less evidence for positive health behaviour change. In order to quantitatively synthesise the evidence and make more confident conclusions, there is a need for more robust, high-quality evaluations of peer-led interventions using standardised health knowledge and behaviour measures.

The effect of peer support approach on communication skills of nursing students in pediatric clinical setting

Peer support is a valuable teaching-learning approach to enhance deep learning in the clinical environment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of peer support on the communication skills of undergraduate nursing students when interacting with hospitalized children and their parents. This was a pre-and post-test quasi-experimental study with two groups. Through the cluster random sampling method, six practical groups of students who undertook a 3-week pediatric practicum were selected. Three groups were allocated to the experimental (n = 51) and control groups (n = 52). Two volunteer post-graduate students in pediatric nursing formed the peer group. First, the peers participated in three 45-min sessions using different scenarios about communication skills. They then tutored the intervention group to improve their communication skills. The communication skills with 5 children and 5 parents were observed for each undergraduate student via the checklist. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores of the communication skills than the control groups in post-test (P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean scores of communication skills was significantly higher in post-test than pre-test in both the experimental and control groups (p < 0.001). Peer support approach promoted the communication skills of undergraduate nursing students in pediatric clinical setting.

Impacts of peer tutoring on academic performance of first-year baccalaureate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Peer tutoring has multiple benefits for students and the nursing program. However, little is known about the impacts of a peer tutoring on students' academic success.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the impacts of a peer tutoring program on the course failure rates and exam scores among first-year baccalaureate nursing students.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study was conducted at a public university in the USA. A formal peer tutoring program was offered to the Class of 2020 over their first three semesters (n = 317), and the Class of 2018 without peer tutoring served as a historical comparison group (n = 285). The peer tutoring program provided free, one-on-one assistance to any students who needed additional academic support.

RESULTS

The overall course failure rate was 3.47% for the class with peer tutoring compared to 7.02% without peer tutoring (χ2 = 3.87; p = 0.049). For the class with peer tutoring, about one half attended the sessions. The attendees had lower first exam scores compared to the non-attendees, but the final exam scores of attendees improved by 4 points out of 100 possible (p < 0.001). For the non-attendees, the exam scores did not change significantly. Students who attended two or more sessions per semester improved their scores by about 5 points. There was a positive association between the improvements in exam scores and the frequency of tutoring sessions attended per semester (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

It appears that the peer tutoring was effective in reducing course failure rates as well as improving exam scores among first-year baccalaureate-nursing students. Peer tutoring may be a useful and cost-effective strategy to help at-risk nursing students as they adjust to the challenges of academic demands in nursing programs.

Mentoring in Radiologic Science

Mentoring occurs every day in the workplace, as experienced employees (mentors) help guide inexperienced ones (protégés) toward a common goal. Both the mentor and protégé possess hallmark characteristics that contribute to a successful mentorship. The typology of mentoring includes formal versus informal, as well as group, one-on-one, peer, remote, and invisible mentors. The benefits of these mentorships can impact students, inexperienced employees, health care institutions, education institutions, patient care, and the mentors themselves. Finally, there are recommendations for fostering mentoring for educators and managers.

Practicing Leadership Skills through Peer Mentoring and Teaching: the Lived Experience of BSN Students

Although leadership theory is introduced in baccalaureate nursing curriculum, opportunities to practice and develop leadership skills are limited for undergraduate nursing students. This study explores the experience of advanced nursing students who provided mentoring and tutoring to beginning nursing students. The experiences they describe are interpreted in light of literature on leadership education in undergraduate nursing schools, as well as that of peer mentoring and peer teaching. These advanced students described opportunities to practice and reflect on leadership skills and attributes. Peer mentoring and peer teaching programs may be an effective and efficient way of helping nursing students gain leadership skills and experience.

Describing the perceptions of student nurses regarding barriers and benefits of a peer-mentorship programme in a clinical setting in KwaZulu-Natal

Background

Novice student nurses encounter challenges when making the transition to clinical learning because of the complex and unpredictable nature of clinical settings. A selected campus initiated a peer-mentoring programme based on research findings, which revealed that student nurses were inadequately mentored in clinical settings because of mentors experiencing work overload, time and resource constraints, staff shortage and patient-care demands.

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of student nurses regarding barriers and benefits of a peer-mentorship programme in a clinical setting.

Setting

The study was conducted in a clinical setting in KwaZulu-Natal.

Methods

A quantitative, descriptive design was used, whereby data were collected through questionnaires. A total of 56 mentors (third- and fourth-year nursing diploma student nurses) and 94 mentees (first- and second-year nursing diploma students) participated in the study.

Results

The mentors highlighted insufficient practice opportunities because of the short duration of the placement, time and resource constraints, and the simultaneous mentoring of too many students as barriers, while the mentees highlighted the reluctance of mentors to fulfil their roles and lack of dedication and unfriendliness as barriers to effective mentorship. The benefits of being a mentor were self-achievement, enhancement of skills and acquiring of positive work ethics, while the major mentee benefits included experiencing less anxiety, adapting to the clinical environment easily and being less intimidated in the clinical setting.

Conclusions

This study revealed that both mentors and mentees perceived peer-mentoring programmes as important to their clinical growth. However, these programmes require formative evaluations to address negative perceptions of student mentees and mentors and to identify challenges faced by them.

Evaluation of peer teaching and deliberate practice to teach veterinary surgery

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of peer teaching and deliberate practice on surgical skills acquisition and retention in first- and second-year veterinary students.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized, prospective, comparative study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Eighteen first-year and 25 second-year students from 1 college of veterinary medicine who had previously demonstrated proficiency in basic surgical skills.

METHODS

Forty-three participants were divided into 3 groups: the test group (group A, n = 15), who participated in a structured peer-assisted learning program using deliberate practice; the time-practice control group (group B, n = 15), who participated in an unstructured peer-supported environment; and the assessment-only control group (group C, n = 13), who participated in the assessments. Participants performed a subcutaneous mass removal on a cadaver model and were assessed via a global rating system. Three assessment points were evaluated: pretraining, immediate posttraining, and retention.

RESULTS

The number of participants who achieved acceptable or excellent grand total scores in group A increased after training. Among all participants, 22% in group A, 35% in group B, and 38% in group C did not achieve an acceptable total score at the retention assessment.

CONCLUSION

The study population improved in skill level and retention through the use of standardized video and peer instruction with attention to effective learning strategies, particularly deliberate practice.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Use and enhancement of the format introduced in this study could augment veterinary surgical education.

Snaps+: Peer-to-peer and academic support in developing clinical skills excellence in under-graduate nursing students: An exploratory study

Peer to peer learning is not a new concept. It has proven to be a valuable approach to enhance deeper learning, improve critical thinking and problem solving. It has been used in the clinical environment, the classroom and the clinical skills laboratory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of student nurse assisted in practice sessions (SNAPS⁺) with the addition of an experienced nursing academic. Using an eight item Likert scale questionnaire together with three open ended questions, this study found that having a nursing academic present in supporting the peer teachers helped improve confidence in practicing clinical skills and was an effective teaching approach to support student learning and by also providing a critical eye over the skills being practiced. Content analysis revealed to central themes - 'being and feeling supported' and 'feeling more able and competent at undertaking essential nursing skills. The results suggest that overall the nursing students found the SNAPS⁺ supportive in allowing the time and space to practice skills in an informal manner. The implications for practice could include an evaluation as to whether there is any effect on student success in the clinical placement environment after attending SNAPS⁺ sessions.

Repetitive Practice With Peer Mentoring to Foster Skill Competence and Retention in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

A one-group, repeated-measures study explored the effect of repetitive practice with peer mentoring on skill competence and retention of vital signs and auscultation of breath and heart sounds in baccalaureate nursing students. Vital signs competence significantly increased after repetitive practice with peer mentoring. Skill competence in vital signs and auscultation of breath and heart sounds did not significantly change four months after repetitive practice with peer mentoring. This study suggests that repetitive practice with peer mentoring may show promise to enhance skill competence and retention; however, more research is needed to support these findings.

Developing a Culture of Caring and Support Through a Peer Mentorship Program

BACKGROUND

Academic leaders are concerned about the retention rate of nursing students; peer mentoring may be one strategy for student success. Research studies on mentoring indicate the benefits of mentoring accrue for both mentors and mentees.

METHOD

A peer voluntary mentorship program operated in coordination with an academic resource center for a decade. It included training and weekly meetings. Mentors were senior nursing students who had a minimum B⁺ average and faculty recommendations. All mentors kept journal logs of their time and reflections of their experience.

RESULTS

Journal statements revealed that mentored nursing students felt more successful in their coursework, gained test-taking skills, and did better on examinations. Mentors gained confidence about their skills and were better prepared for the NCLEX. Mentees formed a natural support group. Mentors expressed concern about their students' success beyond the program.

CONCLUSION

This program generated a culture of caring and support to the nursing students, with the understanding that they would give back to others what they had received. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(7):430-435.].

The influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students' learning outcomes

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students' learning outcomes in critical care units.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. Ten critical care nursing students were recruited from critical care units in the five private and two public hospitals. Descriptions of their experiences were gained through individual face-to-face interviews.

Findings

The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes. However, peer mentoring was not consistent in all hospitals and there were no structured support systems to ensure that peer mentoring was formalized. Making peer mentoring a vital component in the registered nurses core competencies would enable efficiency and guarantee the viability of peer mentoring.

Research limitations/implications

Mentors for the critical care nursing students were not included in the study.

Practical implications

The study identified a need for incorporating a formalized mentorship programme into the core competencies of all qualified critical care nurses, the unit mentor to familiarise themselves with the prescribed learning objectives of the critical care nursing student and an allocation of supernumerary time for the critical care nursing student and mentors to allow for formal mentoring responsibilities to take place.

Originality/value

The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes and conscietises registered nurses of their responsibility as mentors.

A systematic review of the literature describing the outcomes of near-peer mentoring programs for first year medical students

BACKGROUND

Transition into higher education has been identified as one of the most stressful periods for learners. Interventions targeting the transition phase such as near- peer mentoring might help address some of these challenges. We were however unable to identify a published systematic review of the literature describing outcomes of near-peer mentoring of medical students during the transition phase into medical school. The aim of this paper is to review the literature and describe the outcomes of near-peer mentoring schemes for first-year medical students in the transition phase.

METHODS

A search of different electronic databases was carried out, using the search terms peer, buddy, mentor*, counsel*, advise*, tutor*, student, medical, school. 1861 articles were identified, however only 5 studies met the inclusion criteria- primary mentees should be first-years, and mentors must be inclusive of second-years but not limited to them. In reporting this paper, the PRISMA guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

Published material on near-peer mentoring for medical students is scarce. Three outcomes for peer mentoring were identified- professional and personal development, stress reduction, and ease of transitioning. Incidentally, peer-mentoring was also found to have facilitated the development of personal and professional attitudes in the mentors. The quality of the evaluation methods in the studies was however low to moderate.

CONCLUSION

Near-peer-mentoring is a way of promoting professional and personal development. It is also promising to aid transition and maintain well-being of first-year medical students. However, larger, better quality longitudinal studies, are needed to ascertain its true value for these students.

Student support in accelerated nursing programs: Gender-based perspectives and impact on academic outcomes

BACKGROUND

Factors that contribute to student success in accelerated degree nursing programs are poorly understood and may vary by gender.

PURPOSE

Examine associations between satisfaction with peer and mentor support, gender, and academic outcomes among students in accelerated degree nursing programs.

METHODS

We used data (demographic variables, satisfaction with peer and mentor support, graduation, and attempts of National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's New Career in Nursing Program. Multivariable mixed effects regression models were used to examine associations among gender, satisfaction with support, and academic outcomes.

FINDINGS

Males had an increased probability of reporting high satisfaction with peer support. Both males and females who were very dissatisfied with peer support were less likely to graduate than students who were very satisfied with peer support. Gender did not moderate the relationships between satisfaction with peer and mentor support and academic outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Peer support is an important aspect of graduation among students in accelerated degree nursing programs. Continuous quality improvement strategies to improve student peer support may be warranted.

Undergraduate nursing student mentors' experiences of peer mentoring in Korea: A qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Although mentoring involves the achievement of a mutual relationship between mentors and mentees, most studies have focused on the effects of mentoring on the mentees rather than that on the mentors, which necessitates the need to identify mentors' experiences to provide original resources for mentoring.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to explore the mentoring experience of nursing students who participated as mentors in a mentoring learning program, to offer evidence-based resources for nursing educators to develop mentoring programs and to use mentorship as an educational method.

DESIGN

A qualitative content analysis of transcribed focus groups was conducted to describe and explore the undergraduate nursing students' mentoring experiences.

SETTING

This study was conducted in two nursing schools in South Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen student mentors from the peer mentoring program participated in the present study. They were aged between 21 and 24years, and 87% of the participants were female.

METHODS

The experiences of the mentors were explored through focus groups, and the collected data were analyzed by content analysis.

RESULTS

The mentors' experiences could be summarized by the core theme, "Self-growth as a leader," consisting of the following themes: taking pride, guiding mentees, coping with conflicts, and building leadership.

CONCLUSION

The themes and codes derived from mentors' experiences would provide evidence-based guidelines and resources for nursing educators and professionals in related disciplines regarding successful peer mentoring, which could facilitate self-growth and foster the development of leadership skills in undergraduate students.

Essential Professional Behaviors of Nursing Students and New Nurses: Hospital Nurse Leader Perspectives Survey

AIM

This two-part study was conducted to determine which professional behaviors hospital nurse leaders believe are essential for nursing students to learn in the classroom.

BACKGROUND

Nursing students need to be educated to lead high-quality care in complex health care environments. Little is known regarding the professional behaviors deemed essential for novice nurses.

METHOD

Hospital leaders were surveyed (n = 221) using the Hospital Nurse Leader Perspectives survey. This survey, developed from interviews, includes 41 items in change, communication, conflict, leadership, and self-awareness.

RESULTS

The highest-ranked category was communication (n = 159, 72 percent), followed by self-awareness (n = 32, 14.4 percent). The highest items in each category were patient communication, prioritization, expect change, learning from failure, and conflict resolution.

CONCLUSION

The results provide practical information to inform curricula and prepare leaders.

Evaluation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological nursing faculty and its potential for application to other fields in nursing and health sciences

BACKGROUND

As the retirement rate of senior nursing faculty increases, the need to implement new models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty.

PURPOSE

This evaluation of a peer mentorship program for predoctoral and postdoctoral gerontological nurses examined its efficacy, utility, and potential for improvement.

METHODS

A web-based survey was developed, implemented, and completed by 22 mentees and 17 mentors (71% and 61% response rates, respectively) as part of the evaluation.

DISCUSSION

The peer mentorship program was found to be valuable by both mentors (64.7%) and mentees (72.7%) in helping mentees further develop their careers and networks and providing mentors with supported mentorship experience.

CONCLUSION

The peer mentorship program could serve as a model for other professional organizations, academic institutions, and consortiums to enhance and extend the formal vertical mentorship provided to early academic career individuals.

Stepping up, stepping back, stepping forward: Student nurses' experiences as peer mentors in a pre-nursing scholarship

Mentorship is an essential part of the registered nurse's role, yet few opportunities exist for student nurses to mentor others during pre-registration programmes. This paper reports student nurses' experiences of mentoring school pupils during a pre-nursing scholarship. Focus groups were conducted with fifteen final year student nurses (14 female, 1 male) in two university campuses in Scotland. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data analysed thematically. Three interconnected themes emerged: 1) stepping up; 2) stepping back; 3) stepping forward. 'Stepping up' was a process through which student nurses rapidly assumed responsibility for mentoring pupils, facilitated through the attitudes and actions of students' mentors and students' control over pupils' practice experiences. 'Stepping back' encapsulated attitudes and behaviours that enabled student nurses to mentor pupils that involved considerable judgement around how unfolding events in practice could provide learning and development opportunities, and emotional acuity to support pupils through, sometimes challenging, practice situations. 'Stepping forward' described how students' mentoring experience allowed them to appraise and affirm nursing knowledge and skills, and gain greater appreciation of the reality and complexity of mentorship in clinical practice. Peer mentoring may prepare student nurses for future mentoring roles and aid their transition into clinical practice.

The learning experiences of mentees and mentors in a nursing school's mentoring programme

BACKGROUND

A School of Nursing supports third-year undergraduate students (mentees) by means of a mentoring programme in which critical-care nursing students (mentors) are involved. However, the programme designers needed to find out what gaps were evident in the programme.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study were to explore and describe the learning experiences of the mentees and mentors and to obtain recommendations for improving the programme.

METHOD

An action-research method was used to develop and to refine the student-mentoring programme and to identify student needs. However, for the purposes of this article a descriptive design was selected and data were gathered by means of a nominal-group technique. Fourteen mentees and five mentors participated in the research.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that attention should be paid to the allocation and orientation of both mentors and mentees. Amongst the positive experiences was the fact that the mentees were reassured by the mentor's presence and that a relationship of trust developed between them. In consequence, the mentees developed critical thinking skills, were able to apply their knowledge and improved their ability to integrate theory and practice. Not only did the mentees gain respect for the mentors' knowledge and competence, but they also lauded the mentoring programme as a memorable and vital experience.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicated that several changes would be needed to improve the structure of the mentoring programme before a new group of mentees could be placed in critical-care units.

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

BACKGROUND

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars (RWJF NFS) program was developed to enhance the career trajectory of young nursing faculty and to train the next generation of nurse scholars. Although there are publications that describe the RWJF NFS, no evaluative reports have been published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the first three cohorts (n = 42 scholars) of the RWJF NFS program.

METHODS

A descriptive research design was used. Data were derived from quarterly and annual reports, and a questionnaire (seven open-ended questions) was administered via Survey Monkey Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA).

RESULTS

During their tenure, scholars had on average six to seven articles published, were teaching/mentoring at the graduate level (93%), and holding leadership positions at their academic institutions (100%). Eleven scholars (26%) achieved fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest nursing honors. The average ratings on a Likert scale of 1 (not at all supportive) to 10 (extremely supportive) of whether or not RWJF had helped scholars achieve their goals in teaching, service, research, and leadership were 7.7, 8.0, 9.4, and 9.5, respectively. The majority of scholars reported a positive, supportive relationship with their primary nursing and research mentors; although, several scholars noted challenges in connecting for meetings or telephone calls with their national nursing mentors.

CONCLUSIONS

These initial results of the RWJF NFS program highlight the success of the program in meeting its overall goal-preparing the next generation of nursing academic scholars for leadership in the profession.

Exploration of the effects of peer teaching of research on students in an undergraduate nursing programme

The use of peer teaching has been recognised as a valuable teaching and learning strategy in higher education. It has been used in nursing as an adjunct to lectures and to support learning in clinical practice. Despite a developing literature there is limited understanding of its use for teaching about research. This educational project aimed to increase understanding of the effects of peer teaching of research in an undergraduate nursing programme. A convenience sample of 151 third year student ‘learners’ were recruited from three campuses across a School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health in Scotland. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating nine peer teaching sessions delivered by seven separate peer ‘tutor’ presenters, i.e. honours students (two students repeated their presentations). Five peer ‘tutors’ participated in a focus group to discuss their experience of teaching and personal learning. Results indicated that the student learners’ understanding of research and its relevance to clinical practice had been enhanced. These findings resonated with the peer ‘tutors’ intentions of helping other students to make that connection through the presentation of their work. In conclusion, peer teaching of research helped undergraduate nursing students learn about research and it assisted the peer ‘tutors’ to consolidate their learning, develop teaching skills and confidence.

Impact of peer teaching on nursing students: perceptions of learning environment, self-efficacy, and knowledge

BACKGROUND

Peer teaching has been shown to enhance student learning and levels of self efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of peer-teaching learning experiences on nursing students in roles of tutee and tutor in a clinical lab environment.

SETTINGS

This study was conducted over a three-semester period at a South Central University that provides baccalaureate nursing education.

PARTICIPANTS

Over three semesters, 179 first year nursing students and 51 third year nursing students participated in the study.

METHODS

This mixed methods study, through concurrent use of a quantitative intervention design and qualitative survey data, examined differences during three semesters in perceptions of a clinical lab experience, self-efficacy beliefs, and clinical knowledge for two groups: those who received peer teaching-learning in addition to faculty instruction (intervention group) and those who received faculty instruction only (control group). Additionally, peer teachers' perceptions of the peer teaching learning experience were examined.

RESULTS

Results indicated positive response from the peer tutors with no statistically significant differences for knowledge acquisition and self-efficacy beliefs between the tutee intervention and control groups. In contrast to previous research, students receiving peer tutoring in conjunction with faculty instruction were statistically more anxious about performing lab skills with their peer tutor than with their instructors. Additionally, some students found instructors' feedback moderately more helpful than their peers and increased gains in knowledge and responsibility for preparation and practice with instructors than with peer tutors.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings in this study differ from previous research in that the use of peer tutors did not decrease anxiety in first year students, and no differences were found between the intervention and control groups related to self efficacy or cognitive improvement. These findings may indicate the need to better prepare peer tutors, and research should be conducted using more complex skills.

The value of peer learning in undergraduate nursing education: a systematic review

The study examined various methods of peer learning and their effectiveness in undergraduate nursing education. Using a specifically developed search strategy, healthcare databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles, with studies involving peer learning and students in undergraduate general nursing courses (in both clinical and theoretical settings) being included. The studies were published in English between 2001 and 2010. Both study selection and quality analysis were undertaken independently by two researchers using published guidelines and data was thematically analyzed to answer the research questions. Eighteen studies comprising various research methods were included. The variety of terms used for peer learning and variations between study designs and assessment measures affected the reliability of the study. The outcome measures showing improvement in either an objective effect or subjective assessment were considered a positive result with sixteen studies demonstrating positive aspects to peer learning including increased confidence, competence, and a decrease in anxiety. We conclude that peer learning is a rapidly developing aspect of nursing education which has been shown to develop students' skills in communication, critical thinking, and self-confidence. Peer learning was shown to be as effective as the conventional classroom lecture method in teaching undergraduate nursing students.

Surgent University

Introduction. The aim of this study was to develop a new teaching strategy for medical students while creating a national online repository system (Surgent University). Then, the potential of this e-learning modality to facilitate learning of clinical surgery was evaluated. Methods. An online repository and Internet-based interface was designed and hosted on the medical education Web site, www.surgent.ie . Participation was by medical students across 3 Irish universities. Student use of the repository was quantitatively assessed over an 8-week period. They were then invited to complete an anonymous survey assessing the effectiveness of the online repository. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 15, with P < .05 considered significant. Results. Over the study period, the online repository received 6105 uploaded facts by 182 final-year medical students from 3 different universities. The repository Web pages were accessed 54 061 times with 4609 individual searches of the repository. Of the 60 participating students invited to provide survey-based feedback, there were 40 respondents, giving a 66.7% response rate. Of those surveyed, 70% (n = 28) rated the online repository as highly beneficial and 75% (n = 30) as highly relevant. Overall, 87.5% (n = 35) felt that it should be continued, and 70% (n = 28) felt that it should be expanded beyond surgery to include other hospital specialties. Those finding the program interface user-friendly were more likely to find it beneficial ( P = .031) and relevant to their ongoing education ( P = .002). Conclusions. A user-friendly interface allows for high levels of usage, whereas a “student-centered” structure ensures that the facts uploaded are beneficial and relevant to medical students’ education.

Students mentoring students in a service-learning clinical supervision experience: an educational case report

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Service-learning projects present the opportunity to combine academic skill practice and peer mentorship with meaningful community service. Implicit learning outcomes include an enhanced understanding of social responsibility and professional development-concepts difficult to teach in the classroom. The purpose of this educational case report is to describe the development, application, and outcomes of a service-learning project designed to facilitate peer mentorship and the development of social responsibility. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESS: Widener University mandated that all programs offer student community service opportunities on Martin Luther King Day. In response, the physical therapy program developed a plan to clean and screen assistive and mobility devices and provide blood pressure screening at designated community sites. APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS: All faculty and all members of the first-year and third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) classes participated. The students and a faculty member traveled to designated community sites in teams. First-year students were able to practice newly acquired skills under the supervision and peer mentorship of third-year students.

OUTCOMES

Outcomes of the service-learning project were assessed through a tally of services rendered, measurement of curricular goal achievement, a survey of the community partners' satisfaction with the event, and consideration of both first-year and third-year DPT student reflection papers.

DISCUSSION

The service-learning project was effective in meeting a community need, enhancing community partner relationships, fostering student understandings of social responsibility, and creating a valuable peer mentorship experience.