Collaborating With Community Partners to Address Population Health in an Online Advanced Nursing Practice Course

BACKGROUND

Engaging in effective community partnerships is a core competency for advanced nursing practice.

PURPOSE

To describe a semester-long population health project that involved collaboration with a community partner in an online and asynchronous advanced nursing practice course and to evaluate students' perceptions of their community partner collaboration.

METHODS

At the beginning of the course, students selected health topics and community partners. Perceptions of the collaboration were evaluated in a survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.

RESULTS

Approximately 59% of the students found the community partnership was very valuable. Barriers for working with community partners included reluctancy, feeling like a burden, and challenges with scheduling. Facilitators for working with community partners included receiving support on the project, gaining new perspectives, and the collaborative relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Community partnership assignments on population health projects can support students in obtaining skills on effective community partnerships while they are in their education programs.

Use of Decision Cases for Building SNAP-Ed Implementers' Capacities to Realize Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate decision cases as a capacity-building training tool for implementing policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies.

DESIGN

Study phases were: (1) in-depth interviews conducted repeatedly over a year with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) partner sites and once with SNAP-Ed implementers to identify dilemmas when implementing PSE change strategies; (2) decision cases developed to highlight dilemmas; and (3) focus groups with SNAP-Ed implementers to determine decision case utility as a capacity-building training tool.

SETTING

A southeastern state.

PARTICIPANTS

SNAP-Ed partner sites and implementers; Focus group participants.

INTERVENTION

Decision cases.

ANALYSIS

To establish content validity, a thematic analysis of interviews identified common dilemmas when implementing PSE change strategies. SNAP-Ed implementers' focus groups provided feedback to determine the utility and validity of decision cases developed from the analysis.

RESULTS

Common dilemmas of implementation of PSE change strategies reported by SNAP-Ed partner sites (n = 20) and implementers (n = 8) were lack of site and educator readiness and capacity; communication breakdowns; and prioritization of nutrition education over PSE implementation. Focus group participants (n = 8) reviewed a case and discussion guide and recommended them as a capacity-building tool for training.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Using decision cases could help build SNAP-Ed implementers' capacities to implement nutrition PSE change strategies and strengthen partnerships.

Gamification and Multimedia for Medical Education: A Landscape Review

BACKGROUND

Medical education is rapidly evolving. Students enter medical school with a high level of technological literacy and an expectation for instructional variety in the curriculum. In response, many medical schools now incorporate technology-enhanced active learning and multimedia education applications. Education games, medical mobile applications, and virtual patient simulations are together termed gamified training platforms.

OBJECTIVE

To review available literature for the benefits of using gamified training platforms for medical education (both preclinical and clinical) and training. Also, to identify platforms suitable for these purposes with links to multimedia content.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed literature, commercially published media, and grey literature were searched to compile an archive of recently published scientific evaluations of gamified training platforms for medical education. Specific educational games, mobile applications, and virtual simulations useful for preclinical and clinical training were identified and categorized. Available evidence was summarized as it related to potential educational advantages of the identified platforms for medical education.

RESULTS

Overall, improved learning outcomes have been demonstrated with virtual patient simulations. Games have the potential to promote learning, increase engagement, allow for real-word application, and enhance collaboration. They can also provide opportunities for risk-free clinical decision making, distance training, learning analytics, and swift feedback. A total of 5 electronic games and 4 mobile applications were identified for preclinical training, and 5 electronic games, 10 mobile applications, and 12 virtual patient simulation tools were identified for clinical training. Nine additional gamified, virtual environment training tools not commercially available were also identified.

CONCLUSION

Many published studies suggest possible benefits from using gamified media in medical curriculum. This is a rapidly growing field. More research is required to rigorously evaluate the specific educational benefits of these interventions. This archive of hyperlinked tools can be used as a resource for all levels of medical trainees, providers, and educators.

Global teaching and training initiatives for emerging cohort studies

A striking disparity exists across the globe, with essentially no large-scale longitudinal studies ongoing in regions that will be significantly affected by the oncoming non-communicable disease epidemic. The successful implementation of cohort studies in most low-resource research environments presents unique challenges that may be aided by coordinated training programs. Leaders of emerging cohort studies attending the First World Cohort Integration Workshop were surveyed about training priorities, unmet needs and potential cross-cohort solutions to these barriers through an electronic pre-workshop questionnaire and focus groups. Cohort studies representing India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania and Uganda described similar training needs, including on-the-job training, data analysis software instruction, and database and bio-bank management. A lack of funding and protected time for training activities were commonly identified constraints. Proposed solutions include a collaborative cross-cohort teaching platform with web-based content and interactive teaching methods for a range of research personnel. An international network for research mentorship and idea exchange, and modifying the graduate thesis structure were also identified as key initiatives. Cross-cohort integrated educational initiatives will efficiently meet shared needs, catalyze the development of emerging cohorts, speed closure of the global disparity in cohort research, and may fortify scientific capacity development in low-resource settings.