Professional values gained in postgraduate nursing education from the perspectives of master's and doctorate graduates: A mixed-methods study

AIM

To determine the professional values of graduates of master's and doctoral programs in nursing and their views on the contribution of postgraduate education to their professional values.

BACKGROUND

In postgraduate education, which is an important catalyst of professional identity development, a professional is expected to specialize in a field, get into more depth professionally, internalize professional values, and reflect and strengthen these values. To shed light on this expectation, more information is needed to assess the impact of postgraduate education on professional values.

METHODS

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Data were collected for the quantitative part of the study for 385 graduates of postgraduate nursing education programs in Turkey who were selected using the snowball sampling method, while the maximum variation sampling method was used to collect data from 12 individuals for the qualitative part of the study. The Nurses Professional Values Scale (NPVS) and a Semi-Structured Interview Form were used to collect data in October-December 2022. The quantitative data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS software, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software.

RESULTS

The mean total NPVS score of the participants was 130.32 ± 21.34 (possible range: 31-155). Among all dimensions, the highest mean score of the participants was in the caring dimension, followed by professionalism and activism. There were significant differences in the NPVS total and subscale scores of the participants based on their views on the contributions of age, institution where they worked, marital status, position at work, and postgraduate education to the acquisition of professional values. In the qualitative dimension of the study, two main themes were identified. One of these themes was the theme of professional values in postgraduate nursing education that covered the categories of professional values gained through postgraduate education, professional values that a nurse who has completed postgraduate education should have, and professional values in postgraduate nursing education. The second theme was the theme named recommendations for providing nurses with professional values through postgraduate education. The integration of data from both components indicated that the qualitative interviews enriched the quantitative findings.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that postgraduate nursing education programs contribute greatly to the professional values of graduates and strengthen their professional values.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

For the future of nursing, increasing professional strengths and visibility is significantly associated with professional values. This situation requires nurses with strong professional values. Graduate education programs in nursing should be developed in this direction and focus on development of professional values.

Turkish nurses' psychological resilience and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: A correlational study

AIMS

To investigate the relationship between the psychological resilience and burnout of nurses caring for COVID-19 patients and to determine the factors that affect their psychological resilience and burnout.

BACKGROUND

In pandemic diseases such as COVID-19, nurses experience burnout due to long working hours, decreased quality of life and anxiety/fear about their own/families' health. Psychological resilience helps to control burnout in nurses and prevent the development of a global nurse shortage.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive, correlational study.

METHODS

The sample of this study included 201 nurses in a Training and Research Hospital. The study used the Brief Resilience Scale and the Burnout Measure Short Version. Data were collected between 4 May and 1 June 2020. Statistical analysis was made with Pearson/Spearman, independent sample t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

RESULTS

Nurses reported moderate burnout and psychological resilience, with a negative and highly significant correlation between psychological resilience and burnout levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In order to increase the quality of patient care/treatment, nurse managers need to reduce nurses' burnout and increase their psychological resilience. Nurses are recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle, organize training programmes and implement psychological resilience interventions to prevent sleep disorders. Giving nurses the tools to understand what they need to manage within their locus of control will allow them to find a new sense of resilience, preventing potential burnout.

Do the Lifelong Learning Tendencies of Nursing Students Affect Their Attitudes Toward E-Learning?

AIM

This study aimed to determine the lifelong learning tendencies and e-learning attitudes of prospective nurses and the relationship between these variables.

METHOD

This was a descriptive study conducted to find the relationship between lifelong learning tendencies and e-learning attitudes of nurses. The population of the study consisted of a total of 1202 students who were enrolled in the nursing faculty of a state university. The data were collected by an information form, the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale, and the E-Learning Attitude Scale. The study was conducted between April and May 2018. Continuous variables were presented as arithmetic means, standard deviations, and minimum, maximum, and median values, while categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between the scores of the scales.

RESULTS

The minimum score of the nursing students was 70.00 and their maximum scores was 152.00 in the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale, with a mean score of 122.80 ± 21.35. The minimum score of the participants was 34.00 and their maximum score was 95.00 in the E-Learning Attitude Scale, with a mean score of 62.56 ± 8.72. There was a positive and weak statistically significant relationship between the lifelong learning tendencies and e-learning attitudes of the prospective nurses (r = .238, p > .01).

CONCLUSION

As a result of the study, the lifelong learning tendencies of the nursing students were found to be high, and considering the subdimension scores of lifelong learning tendency scale of the nursing students, in general, the participants' motivation, persistence, and deficiency in learning scores were high and curiosity motivation scores were medium. They had medium-level attitudes toward e-learning, and there was a weak, positive relationship between their lifelong learning tendencies and e-learning attitudes. It is recommended that involving nursing students in seminars, conferences, and scientific activities will support their lifelong learning. It is also recommended to organize learning environments where they will experience positive e-learnings.

Knowledge and Attitude of Society Concerning Organ Donation in Turkey

This study aims to identify the knowledge and attitude of society in Turkey concerning organ donation, as well as to learn the recommendations proposed by members of society to promote organ donation. The study employs a mixed-methods research design (quantitative and qualitative). The study sample consisted of 1385 people between the ages of 18 and 90 who had sociodemographic and cultural characteristics, lived in various regions/districts within Istanbul province, had varying levels of education, worked/did not work in various institutions and organizations, and agreed to participate voluntarily in the study. The data were collected using an Information Form and a Semi-Structured Individual Opinion Form. Most of the participants had not donated organs but were willing to do so, and the majority of those who had donated or wished to donate their organs desired to do so in order to save a life, serve humanity, or help someone else. Among those who did not wish to donate their organs, their reasons included a desire to preserve the integrity of their bodies and a desire for nothing to be detached from their bodies. Moreover, those unwilling believed that it was not religiously permissible. The participants indicated that society needed to be educated, primarily through visual and print media, to promote organ donation. Organizing seminars, conferences, panels, as well educational activities related to organ donation can be recommended to raise awareness and improve attitudes toward organ donation.

A valid and reliable tool in assessing patient education: the Patient Education Implementation Scale

AIM

This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable tool for assessing the frequency of nurses' implementation of patient education in line with the stages of determining needs, assessment and planning, implementation, and evaluation and documentation.

BACKGROUND

Patient education is important in terms of the patient's completion of a reliable and effective treatment process. Patient education is one of the main responsibilities of a nurse. No valid and reliable study that assessed nurses' patient education process implementation was found in the literature.

METHODS

This instrument development study was conducted with 583 nurses working at university, private, and research and training hospitals located in the province of Istanbul in Turkey. The items of the Patient Education Implementation Scale were developed in line with the literature and expert opinions. The analyses involved descriptive statistics and psychometric analyses. The level of statistical significance was accepted as P < .05.

RESULTS

The content validity index was calculated as 0.96 for the 42-item Patient Education Implementation Scale, which explained 63.37% of the total variance. The scale items whose factor loads were 0.45 or higher were divided into four factors as (a) determining education needs, (b) assessment and planning, (c) implementation, and (d) evaluation and documentation. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.78-0.95 for the subdimensions and 0.97 for the general scale.

CONCLUSION

It was determined that the Patient Education Implementation Scale is a valid and reliable tool.

Does participation of nursing students in social activities affect their social emotional learning skills?

BACKGROUND

One of the basic conditions for raising qualified and equipped individuals in today's world is to ensure their participation in social activities. Participation in social activities supports the development of social emotional learning skills in individuals. Providing scientific evidence supporting social emotional learning is also important for developing the social emotional learning skills of nursing students.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the effect of nursing student participation in social activities on their social emotional learning skills.

DESIGN

Descriptive study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The population of this descriptive study consisted of all undergraduate students studying in the nursing faculty at a state university in Turkey (1202 students). No sample was selected in the study with the goal of assessing the entire study population. The study was conducted with 715 students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.

METHOD

Data were collected using the Information Form and the Social Emotional Learning Skills Scale. The data was analyzed using frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Pearson-correlation, one-way ANOVA, t-test, and Chi-square statistical methods.

RESULTS

More than 50% of the students did not participate in social activities. The students that did participate in social activities made more friends, found more opportunities for socialization, had increased self-confidence, and approached different views with tolerance. The students did not participate in social activities due to lack of time and financial difficulties. The students had high social emotional learning skills total and subscale scores. The participation of students in social activities affects their social emotional learning skills positively.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, nursing students' opportunities for participating in social activities should be increased and their participation in social activities should be supported through encouraging initiatives.

[Reflections on Nursing Education of Technological Developments]

Geçmişte sınıflarda var olan yazı tahtası, tepegöz ve film şeritleri vb. teknolojiler günümüzde yerini bilgisayar, internet, simülasyon, öğretim videoları, mobil araçlar, sosyal medya vb. teknolojilere bırakmış, e-öğrenme ve mobil öğrenme gibi uzaktan eğitim yöntemleri giderek yaygınlaşmıştır. Bu teknolojilerin kullanılmadığı eğitim eğitim ortamları, artık günümüzün bireysel ve toplumsal beklentilerine, gereksinimlerine yanıt veremez hale gelmiştir. Bu nedenlerle günümüz dünyasında her ülke eğitimini, teknolojik gelişme ve değişmelerden yararlanılacak şekilde yeniden yapılandırmaya başlamıştır. Bu derlemede, hızlı değişim ve gelişim değişim gösteren teknolojilerin hemşirelik eğitimine yansımalarını ortaya koymak amaçlanmıştır.

The relationship between critical thinking and emotional intelligence in nursing students: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are regarded as important traits that nurses have which may influence the quality of their work including clinical decision-making and reasoning ability and adoption of evidence-based practice and practice-based knowledge.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to investigate nursing students' critical thinking dispositions and emotional intelligence as an essential skill, over the course of the undergraduate nursing program.

DESIGN

A longitudinal design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The research study was conducted as a longitudinal design. The target group of this study consists of 182 students studying at the faculty of nursing. Asymmetrical cluster sampling method has been applied to select the sample group and all students in their first academic year were included in the study.

METHOD

Information Form, California Critical Thinking Disposition Scale and Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale were used in order to collect data. The data was analyzed by using frequency, standard deviation, Kruskal Wallis and Bonferroni test.

RESULTS

There was no relationship between sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence respectively; awareness of emotions, empathy, social skills in the first academic year and critical thinking disposition and the end of academic year. A moderate correlation was found in the positive direction between the self-motivation at the beginning of the academic year and critical thinking disposition at the end of the final academic year.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended that the nursing scholarship investigates the current issues on the subjects of emotional intelligence and critical thinking in detail, discuss different aspects of the subjects and debate over the criticisms. Briefly, the discussion should go beyond the scope of nursing and include different aspects.

Intergenerational differences in the personal and professional values of nurses

OBJECTIVES:

This study was conducted descriptively for the purpose of determining the differences in the personal and professional values of nurses according to their generation.

METHODS:

The study was planned according to the descriptive research method. The population of the research consisted of nurses carrying out their duties in Istanbul, and the sample consisted of 718 nurses. The number of nurses to be included in the sample was determined by stratified sampling, and the nurses to be included in the sample were determined through random sampling. The data were collected using an information form, the Value Preferences Scale, Professional Value Order of Priority Scale, and the Nurses' Professional Values Scale.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Ethics committee approval for the study was received from the Ethics Committee Presidency of the I.U. Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty of Clinical Studies. The study began after the participants were informed that they could decide to withdraw from the study at any time during the data collection process. In order to use the Nurses Professional Values Scale, written permission was received from Nuray Sahin Orak.

FINDINGS:

The primary value preference is social value for nurses from the Baby Boomers generation, Y and Z generations, and political value for nurses from X generation. It is the nurses from every generation who prioritized human dignity among professional values, which is follow by activation and responsibility. It is determined that a great majority of nurses from the Baby Boomers generation, X, Y, and Z generations prioritized human dignity among professional values, which was followed by the values of equality, justice, and freedom.

CONCLUSION:

These results indicate that nurses from all generations agree on the professional values required by their profession and thus carry out their duties in accordance with the ethical principles and the values of their profession.

Developing critical thinking disposition and emotional intelligence of nursing students: a longitudinal research

BACKGROUND

Emotional Intelligence is considered as an important characteristic of nurses that can affect the quality of their work including clinical decision-making, critical thinking, evidence and knowledge use in practice.

OBJECTIVES

The study is aimed to determine nursing students' critical thinking disposition and emotional intelligence in an academic year.

DESIGN

A longitudinal design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The focus population of this longitudinal study consists of 197 freshman students studying at a faculty of nursing.

METHOD

Asymmetrical cluster sampling method was used to determine sample group and all the students registered in the first year were included in scope of the study. Information Form, California Critical Thinking Disposition Scale and Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale were used for data collection. SPSS version 11.5 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Nursing students have a low level of critical thinking disposition and intermediate level of emotional intelligence both at the beginning and end of academic year. There was no statistically significant difference in both skills at the beginning and end of year. There was a statistically significant difference between students' critical thinking disposition and emotional intelligence at the beginning of academic year. There was a positive correlation at a medium level between students' critical thinking disposition and emotional intelligence at the beginning and end of academic year.

CONLUSIONS

In light of these results, it is that suggested the study should be prolonged as longitudinal because development of both skills require a long time. The current study holds importance that it sheds light on other relevant studies and nursing education programs.

Personal and professional values held by baccalaureate nursing students

BACKGROUND

Values are ideals and beliefs that individuals and groups uphold and lie at the core of the diverse world of human behaviour and are expressed in every human decision and action, both consciously and unconsciously. They represent basic beliefs of what is right, good or desirable and motivate both personal and professional behaviour. In the context of nursing profession, values are essential in order to maintain high standards of the nursing care.

OBJECTIVES

This study was planned to examine changes in nursing students' personal and professional values between entering and graduating from an undergraduate nursing programme. Ethical considerations: Measures to protect participants included obtaining Deaconship of Nursing Faculty approval, obtaining signed informed consent and maintaining confidentiality.

METHODS

This study was designed as longitudinal quality. The research population included 143 students registered at a first grade of a nursing faculty for the 2009-2010 academic year. Data were collected with a Questionnaire Form, the Value Preferences Scale, the Professional Values Precedence Scale and the Nursing Professional Values Scale.

FINDINGS

According to the results, social values have statistical differences in 4-year nursing education. Nursing students in second class have higher score in terms of social values than those in third class. Also, majority of students ranked human dignity as first and justice as second and third from first to fourth classes, and they have very high scores on Nursing Professional Values Scale and its subscales and stated that all items of Nursing Professional Values Scale are very important.

CONCLUSION

As a result, nursing education has vital role in acquiring and maintaining professional values.

Relationship between self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nursing students

Nursing focuses on meeting physical, social and emotional health-care needs of individuals, families and society. In health care, nurses directly communicate with patients and try to empathize with them. Nurses give care under emotionally intense conditions where the individual undergoes pain and distress. Research is aimed at analysing the correlation of self-compassion and emotional intelligence of nursing students. The population of the research consisted of all the undergraduate students (571 students) of the 2010-2011 fall semester of the department of nursing. An information form, Self-compassion Scale and Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale were utilized to obtain data for the research. For the assessment of the findings of research, Statistical Package for Social Sciences 16.0 for Windows was utilized for statistical analysis. Results indicated that there is a correlation between self-compassion and emotional intelligence and that emotional intelligence, which includes the individual perceiving one's emotions and using the knowledge one gained from them to function while directing thoughts, actions and professional applications, has positive contributions to the features of nurses with developed self-compassion.