Nurse education today
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Nurse education today · Apr 2010
A leadership program in an undergraduate nursing course in Western Australia: building leaders in our midst.
This paper discusses a leadership program implemented in the School of Nursing at Edith Cowan University to develop leadership in fourth semester nursing students enrolled in a three year undergraduate nursing degree to prepare them for the dynamic 'changing world' environment of healthcare. Students were invited to apply to undertake the program in extracurricular time. Nineteen students applied to the program and ten were chosen to participate in the program. ⋯ Students completed a pre and post program questionnaire related to abilities and skills in leadership. This paper discusses pre and post evaluation data against program outcomes. The findings demonstrate that participants of the program increased their ability to influence, persuade and motivate others; to effectively communicate; to team build and work collaboratively; to develop problem solving and perseverance skills to overcome obstacles; and to serve as agents for positive change.
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Nurse education today · Jan 2010
ReviewDo calculation errors by nurses cause medication errors in clinical practice? A literature review.
This review aims to examine the literature available to ascertain whether medication errors in clinical practice are the result of nurses' miscalculating drug dosages. The research studies highlighting poor calculation skills of nurses and student nurses have been tested using written drug calculation tests in formal classroom settings [Kapborg, I., 1994. Calculation and administration of drug dosage by Swedish nurses, student nurses and physicians. ⋯ The literature suggests that there are other more pressing aspects of nurses' preparation and administration of medications which are contributing to medication errors in practice that require more urgent attention and calls into question the current focus on calculation and numeracy skills of pre registration and qualified nurses (NMC 2008). However, more research is required into the calculation errors in practice. In particular there is a need for a direct observational study on paediatric nurses as there are presently none examining this area of practice.
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In an attempt to address a shortage of clinical nursing placements, the rising complexity of care and to increase preparedness of students entering clinical settings, the provincial government of Ontario invested significant funding for the purchase of simulation equipment in undergraduate Schools of Nursing. What students believe about simulation and learning can influence how it is used and can also provide faculty with a better understanding of how it can best be implemented. This study explored nursing students' viewpoints about the use of simulation in their nursing programs. ⋯ Although all students felt that simulated experiences could support learning overall, four groups of students were identified who had differing viewpoints. Described as reflectors, reality skeptics, comfort seekers, and technology savvies, these four groups of students require unique approaches to better engage them in learning with simulation. This study provides recommendations for faculty to consider, taking into account these varied viewpoints regarding simulation in nursing education.
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Nursing education in Spain is developing rapidly in accordance with the European Union growth and within an international globalization movement. The purpose of this article is to present the new nursing education framework in Spain: A brief history together with its recent reform and developments. Since nursing education was integrated into the university level in 1977, the only academic recognition for such an education in Spain was the three year diploma degree. ⋯ In January 2005, the Spanish Government published the guidelines for the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, and finally, last October 2007, it established the regulations for the official university education. The current nursing specialties in Spain include family and community health nursing, midwifery, mental health nursing, geriatric nursing, health work nursing, medical care nursing and pediatric nursing. This new nursing education structure is expected to improve health care as well as nursing reliability and autonomy.
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Nurse education today · Jul 2009
Teaching during clinical practice: strategies and techniques used by preceptors in nursing education.
The preceptor is a nurse who teaches and supports the student and is seen as pivotal to student learning within the clinical setting. Earlier studies have shown that preceptors' pedagogical competence is significant for facilitating learning during clinical practice. However, studies describing pedagogical competence, especially in terms of teaching strategies, seem to be scarce. ⋯ The study had an ethnographic approach; methods used were participant observations and focus group interviews with nurses who were experienced in precepting undergraduate nursing students. Findings illustrated how preceptors used different strategies and techniques in a continuous process of adjusting, performing and evaluating precepting. Increased knowledge on how the preceptors actually teach student nurses during clinical practice will help facilitate educational programmes for preceptors, which will enhance their pedagogical skills and competences.