J Nurs Educ
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
The effect of an innovative clinical teaching method on nursing students' knowledge and critical thinking skills.
The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effect of an experimental clinical teaching method on nursing students' knowledge and critical thinking skills during clinical rotations in psychiatric nursing. Ausubel's Assimilation Theory of Learning provided the theoretical framework for this research. The subjects (N = 83) were from the baccalaureate nursing graduating classes of 1992 and 1993 of a medium-sized state university in the mid-atlantic region of the United States. ⋯ However, there was no significant difference between the study groups with respect to knowledge. The findings support the appropriateness of Ausubel's Assimilation Theory with this clinical teaching method. Discussion relevant to the application of the study findings to nursing education and future research is presented.
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This study investigated the relationship between senior nursing faculty mentoring activities and support for faculty mentoring provided by nursing program administrators. Eighty nurse administrators and 389 senior nursing faculty from NLN-accredited MSN programs completed questionnaires. ⋯ The majority of institutions expressed support for the concept of mentoring and nurse administrators used informal mechanisms to support faculty mentoring. Significant differences were found between the three different levels of support and two supportive activities used by nurse administrators to facilitate mentoring relationships: (1) to arrange gatherings, and (2) to provide funding for joint projects.
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Part-time faculty use has become more prevalent in higher education in response to enrollment shifts and budgetary constraints. This descriptive, exploratory study used a mailed survey to investigate whether full-time nursing faculty perceptions of workload and collegial support differ with changes in the proportion of part-time faculty in Comprehensive I baccalaureate nursing programs. Workload was measured by Dick's Workload Instrument. ⋯ Communication and collegiality between part-time and full-time faculty should be further developed and researched under more controlled conditions. Case studies of arrangements that make part-time faculty use beneficial are needed. Other variables such as leadership style, scholarly productivity, and morale and their relationship to the proportion of part-time faculty employed in the nursing program should be investigated.
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The persistent problem of inadequate assessment of pain, undermedication for pain by nurses, and reports of nurses themselves that they are unprepared to manage various types of pain provided direction for this study. The purpose was to investigate time allocated to pain content, the nature of the theoretical content and clinical experiences in nursing curricula, and faculty satisfaction with their graduates' preparation for pain management in baccalaureate and associate degree programs. The 80% response rate included 177 associate degree and 174 baccalaureate nursing programs. ⋯ Nonpharmacological methods are introduced to students, but most programs do not provide in-depth instruction. The majority of respondents indicated they were satisfied with their graduates' preparation for pain management, but less satisfied with the amount of time allocated to pain content in the curriculum. Implications for education and research are discussed.