Korean Nursing Students' Acquisition of Evidence-Based Practice and Critical Thinking Skills

Implementation lead nurses to lead EBP quality improvement project using the PEACE framework

Implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in clinical practice is an ongoing challenge for nurses. EQUIP-Evidence-based QUality Improvement Project- is a multiphase project aimed at equipping nurses with the essential skills to implement EBP and advanced nursing practice. EQUIP embraces the assumption that implementation science models and partnership models can facilitate the implementation process of EBP, leading to successful and sustainable change. The current study is one of the EQUIP feasibility investigations in which the perspective of 12 implementation lead nurses (IL nurses) who attended a 1-day PEACE-based workshop was explored. Thematic analysis identified 2 overarching themes, 6 themes, and 18 subthemes. The first overarching theme showed that the PEACE-based workshop has successfully achieved its intended training implications, and the second overarching theme gave insight into factors that may influence the role of IL nurses. IL nurses reported general satisfaction and willingness to use the PEACE model at work; however, some IL nurses found Step 3 difficult to apply. The study's findings provide evidence of the perceived usefulness of adopting the PEACE model as an augmented approach in the EQUIP and the interest and enthusiasm of IL nurses in receiving more training on the implementation process of EBP.

Nursing students' critical thinking and associated factors in Vietnam: A multicenter cross-sectional study

AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the critical thinking abilities of senior nursing students in Vietnam and determine factors associated with their critical thinking disposition and skills.

BACKGROUND

Assessing critical thinking competence is crucial for determining senior nursing students' preparedness for entering the healthcare workforce and can be used to examine current nursing education's ability to cultivate nursing students' critical thinking. However, little research was found on critical thinking among Vietnamese nursing students.

DESIGN

A multicenter cross-sectional research design.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 533 senior nursing students from six universities in Vietnam participated in this study. All participants completed the online questionnaires, including basic information, a subscale of the Motivated Strategy for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS), and Critical Thinking Self-Assessment Scale (CTSAS).

RESULTS

The mean score for the CTDS was 42.81 (standard deviation (SD) = 5.29), while the mean score for the CTSAS was 168.29 (SD = 44.43). Results of the multiple linear-regression analysis showed that an increase in self-study hours per day (B = 0.41, p = 0.007), higher self-efficacy in learning and performance (B = 0.26, p < 0.001), and a more-supportive environment (B = 0.97, p < 0.001) were predictors of critical thinking disposition. Moreover, an increase in self-study hours per day (B = 4.09, p = 0.001), higher self-efficacy in learning and performance (B = 2.65, p < 0.001), a more-supportive environment (B = 7.74, p < 0.001), and more experience with research (B = 7.03, p = 0.03) were predictors of critical thinking skills.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that senior nursing students in Vietnam possess a moderate level of critical thinking abilities. Those students who dedicate more hours to self-study, demonstrate higher self-efficacy in learning and performance, experience a supportive environment, and engage in more research activities exhibit better critical thinking disposition and skills. The findings highlight the ongoing need to enhance critical thinking disposition and skills of nursing students in Vietnam. It is suggested that nursing faculty members should develop the appropriate strategies to improve nursing students' critical thinking disposition and skills.

The effect of decorative arts course on nursing students' creativity and critical thinking dispositions

BACKGROUND

Nurses use their critical thinking skills and creativity to solve complex problems. Nursing students should access effective and appropriate educational materials to develop critical thinking skills and creativity.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effect of the "decorative arts" course on nursing students' creativity and critical thinking dispositions.

METHOD

The study was conducted in the nursing departments of two universities between May 2021 and December 2021. The sample consisted of 141 nursing students. Data were collected using a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS), and the Marmara Creative Thinking Dispositions Scale (MCTDS).

RESULTS

Fourth-year students had a significantly higher mean CTDS score than third-year students (p = 0.009). Participants who took the "decorative arts" course for two semesters had a significantly higher mean CTDS score than those who took it for one semester at most (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The "decorative arts" course helped nursing students develop critical thinking skills and creativity.

JBI series paper 3: The importance of people, process, evidence, and technology in pragmatic, healthcare provider-led evidence implementation

In this paper, we describe and discuss evidence implementation as a venture in global human collaboration within the framework of "people, process, evidence, and technology" as a roadmap for navigating implementation. At its core implementation is not a technological, or theoretical process, it is a human process. That health professionals central to implementation activities may not have had formal training in implementation, highlights the need for processes and programs that can be integrated within healthcare organization structures. Audit with feedback is an accessible implementation approach that includes the capacity to embed theory, frameworks, and bottom-up change processes to improve the quality of care. In this third paper in the JBI series, we discuss how four overarching principals necessary for sustainability (Culture, Capacity, Communication, and Collaboration) are combined with evidence, technology, and resources for evidence-based practice change. This approach has been successfully used across hundreds of evidence implementation projects around the globe for over 15 years. We present healthcare practitioner-led evidence-based practice improvement as sustainable and achievable in collaborative environments such as the global JBI network as a primary interest of the practicing professions and provide an overview of the JBI approach to evidence implementation.

Progress in symmetry preserving robot perception and control through geometry and learning

This article reports on recent progress in robot perception and control methods developed by taking the symmetry of the problem into account. Inspired by existing mathematical tools for studying the symmetry structures of geometric spaces, geometric sensor registration, state estimator, and control methods provide indispensable insights into the problem formulations and generalization of robotics algorithms to challenging unknown environments. When combined with computational methods for learning hard-to-measure quantities, symmetry-preserving methods unleash tremendous performance. The article supports this claim by showcasing experimental results of robot perception, state estimation, and control in real-world scenarios.

Evidence based practice competence of future traditional Chinese medicine nurses: A cross-sectional online study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies demonstrated the low evidence-based practice competence of nurses in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals. University education may enhance nursing students' evidence-based practice competence. Few studies have investigated traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students' evidence-based practice competence.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the evidence-based practice competence of traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students across all grades and their influencing factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional online study.

SETTINGS

A traditional Chinese medicine university offering an evidence-based nursing curriculum in Beijing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 601 traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students were recruited, with a response rate of 70.05%. The junior and senior groups consisted of first- and second-year students, and third- and fourth-year students, respectively.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted in 2019 using a self-administered questionnaire encompassing attitude, knowledge, and skill. A t-test, non-parametric test, and correlation analysis were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Evidence-based practice attitude mean scores were the highest in both groups (3.87 ± 0.48 _junior; 3.97 ± 0.45 _senior), followed by skill (3.33 ± 0.46 _junior; 3.48 ± 0.46 _senior) and knowledge (3.21 ± 0.55 _junior; 3.52 ± 0.47 _senior). In the senior group, attitude decreased (from 4.02 to 3.86). The two groups reported the same items with the lowest scores in all three dimensions. The influencing factors were 1) scientific research experience (Z = -2.87) and a medical literature retrieval course (t = -3.40) for the junior group, 2) completion of the evidence-based nursing course (Z = -2.59) for the senior group, and 3) student admission level (Z_junior = -2.55, Z_senior = -3.85) and English language proficiency (chi-square_junior = 2.80, chi-square_senior = 16.37) for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Deficiencies in evidence implementation and decreasing evidence-based practice attitudes among fourth-year students warrant attention. Evidence-based nursing courses could be optimised, and research and English activities enriched to improve evidence-based practice competence.

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nursing students on evidence-based practice

OBJECTIVE

To identify knowledge, skills, and attitudes on Evidence-Based Practice of nursing students in the School of Nursing of Universidade de São Paulo and to explore the relationship between knowledge, skills, and attitudes and associated variables.

METHOD

This is an exploratory, descriptive, analytical study conducted with 125 nursing undergraduate students. The data were obtained through application of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The mean score for the questionnaire was 4.73 (SD = 0.79), with a higher score in the Attitudes domain. There was a significant statistical correlation between questionnaire score and course year (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

There is a gap in the knowledge and skills associated to Evidence-Based Practice among nursing students. Effective strategies for teaching this subject in the nursing undergraduate course must be developed.

Design of the EBE-ST Questionnaire among Nursing Students: Multicenter Study from Eight Universities in Spain

Background: Twenty years after the degree in nursing was introduced in Spain, the subject of evidence-based nursing is still unstructured and unestablished in most faculties. Moreover, there are hardly any rigorous studies at a national level that evaluate the current state of this competence in our faculties. Understanding the starting point is essential for the curricular design to ensure that evidence-based practice is implemented among future professionals. Aim: To design and validate an evidence-based nursing competency questionnaire for fourth-year nursing students. Methods: A specific questionnaire was developed and validated (EBE-ST). A cross-sectional survey design with psychometric validation of an instrument. Participants were 304 senior year nursing students from eight universities in Spain (2020). Results: The EBE-ST questionnaire is composed of 33 items that determine eight factors. It presents adequate reliability and validity (alpha = 0.882), measuring knowledge, attitudes and the practical application of evidence-based practice. Conclusions: We have created an instrument with good psychometric properties to measure evidence-based practice competence among senior nursing students. The heterogeneity of knowledge regarding evidence-based nursing in our country suggests that further reflection is warranted on the incorporation of this topic during undergraduate training. We have designed and validated an evidence-based nursing competency questionnaire specific to nursing students.

Nursing Students' Satisfaction: A Comparison between Medium- and High-Fidelity Simulation Training

Training based on clinical simulation is an effective method of teaching in nursing. Nevertheless, there is no clear evidence about if it is better to use high- or medium-fidelity simulation. The aim is to analyse if students are more satisfied when their clinical simulation practices are based on high-fidelity simulation (HFS) or medium-fidelity simulation (MFS). Students´ satisfaction was assessed using the Satisfaction Scale Questionnaire with High-Fidelity Clinical Simulation. The sample is composed of 393 students from two Spanish Universities. Satisfaction with simulation in nursing students is significantly greater in MFS than HFS. Simulation is beneficial for learning in all its forms, but for the acquisition of basic skills, and at a lower cost, MFS proves to be effective. However, high-fidelity is not always better than medium-fidelity as this depends on the student’s level of knowledge and clinical experience.

A multi-dimensional EBP educational program to improve evidence-based practice and critical thinking of hospital-based nurses: Development, implementation, and preliminary outcomes

Improving outcomes and quality of care through evidence-based practice (EBP) is a priority globally. But most nurses have insufficient competence in EBP. How to conduct Educational interventions to enhance clinical nurses' EBP competencies and critical thinking disposition (CTD) requires more evidence. One hundred eleven clinical nurses from a Chinese four-campus hospital were enrolled in our EBP education program. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model was used to develop and guide the educational and practical sessions. Multi-dimensional learning strategies -including online self-learning, on-site lectures, workshops, and social media-facilitated group discussions-were used to facilitate the implementation of the education sessions. After education, nurses embedded evidence into practice. The Chinese versions of the EBP Believe scale (EBPB), EBP Implementation scale (EBPI), and the Simplified Chinese Version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI-SCV) were applied to assess the relevant competencies among clinical nurses before and after the education program. Clinical nurses' EBPB, EBPI, and CTDI-SCV scores improved. But only EBPB and EBP skills and attitudes were enhanced with a statistical difference (t = -2.980, -4.141, and -2.695, with all p < 0.01). There was a small positive association between EBPB and CTDI-SCV (r = 0.396, p < 0.01). Fifteen EBP programs were successfully accomplished.

Mediating Factors in Nursing Competency: A Structural Model Analysis for Nurses' Communication, Self-Leadership, Self-Efficacy, and Nursing Performance

This study examined the structural relationship among clinical nurses' communication ability, self-leadership, self-efficacy, and nursing performance. A structural model analysis was applied to identify factors influencing nursing performance and analyze the effects of self-leadership and self-efficacy as mediators. A survey was conducted among clinical nurses working in general hospitals in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Province of the Republic of Korea. In the final analysis, data from 168 questionnaires were used. SPSS 24.0 and Amos 23.0 programs were used for frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation model analysis, and mediating effect analysis through bootstrapping. The significance level was set at 5% for all analyses. First, the model's fitness figures met the criteria for the appropriate judgment presented in previous studies, so the model between nurses' communication ability, self-leadership, self-efficacy, and nursing performance was suitable for predicting a causal relationship. Second, the relationship between nurses' communication ability and self-leadership had a statistically significant effect. Also, the relationship between communication ability and self-efficacy had a statistically significant effect. Third, nurses' communication ability affected nursing performance through self-efficacy.

Effects of high-fidelity simulation on the critical thinking skills of baccalaureate nursing students: A causal-comparative research study

BACKGROUND

Critical thinking has been identified as one of the standards for nursing school accreditation and a long-standing outcome of nursing education and nursing practice. High-fidelity simulation is one method currently used by nursing programs to increase critical thinking in nursing students. Despite these expectations, there is limited empirical evidence which compares the effects of simulation to other teaching strategies.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine whether statistically significant differences existed in mean critical thinking skill scores within groups (pretest to posttest) and between groups (simulation versus written case studies).

DESIGN

A quantitative causal-comparative methodology with a pretest/posttest design.

SETTING

A private university in the midwestern United States which offers a four-year Bachelor of Science Nursing program.

PARTICIPANTS

Baccalaureate junior nursing students (N = 69) were recruited from a convenience sample and divided into two groups which consisted of a simulation group (n = 36) and a written case studies comparison group (n = 33).

METHODS

This research study consisted of a pretest, three weeks of being in either the simulation group or the written case studies group, and a posttest. The Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) was the instrument used for the pretest and posttest to measure critical thinking skills of all participants.

RESULTS

A repeated measures mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated there was no statistically significant difference in participants' mean critical thinking scores within groups (pretest to posttest) or between groups (simulation versus written case studies).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of high-fidelity simulation as a teaching strategy versus written case studies to increase critical thinking skills of nursing students was not supported.