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Background Social and healthcare operating environments are constantly evolving, so educators have major responsibility for ensuring that Evidence-Based Healthcare is included in the education of future healthcare professionals and applied in their practice. A holistic understanding and implementation of evidence-based healthcare competence is critical to the delivery of appropriate, relevant, and effective healthcare. Aim To identify and describe social and healthcare educators' EBHC competence according to the five main components of the JBI model and associated factors to it. Methods A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted, with inclusion and exclusion criteria identified according to PICo and PEO inclusion criteria for qualitative and quantitative studies, respectively. Five databases—the CINAHL (EBSCO), PubMed, Scopus, Medic and ProQuest databases— were searched in June 2020. In total, 12 original studies (qualitative and quantitative) were included for quality appraisal, data extraction and narrative synthesis. Results Key competence areas addressed in the selected studies were integrated into the four components of the JBI model of EBHC (evidence generation, synthesis, transfer, and implementation, and focus on its ultimate goal: global health). In the majority of chosen studies', it was found that educators had a positive attitude towards EBHC and wanted to stay up-to-date in the areas of global health and collaboration. Educators demonstrated their abilities to locate, appraise, and interpret the best current relevant evidence. They knew how to integrate EBHC into their teaching and had strong communication skills in evidence transfer. Their EBHC competence was strongest in the educational context and educators could transfer evidence when teaching but were not able to translate it into how to implement EBHC in clinical care. In addition to higher academic education and work experience, organizational support and continuous education reportedly play essential roles in development of educators' EBHC competence. Conclusion Measures are needed to maintain and improve social and health educators' EBHC competence and develop robust methods to reliably assess it.

Background It has been argued that the significance of personality in relation to students' readiness for interprofessional collaboration is an area where more research is needed. Nursing students in particular seem to be unsure about their role in the interprofessional team. Objective To explore associations between nursing students' readiness for interprofessional learning and personality traits with regard to biological sex, and previous work experience from health care. Design A cross-sectional questionnaire study. Setting Nursing students in year one and three enrolled in a three-year undergraduate bachelor in nursing programme. Participants Nursing students (n = 284) in semester two and six. Methods The participants completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale and the Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to experience Five Factor Inventory-3. The data were statistically analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations and linear regressions. Results Four of the five investigated personality traits – Extraversion, Openness to experiences, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness - were associated with nursing students' readiness for interprofessional learning. Moreover, nursing students in semester six were more ready for interprofessional learning regarding Negative professional identity and Roles and responsibilities than students in semester two. Female students were more ready for Teamwork and collaboration than male students. Conclusions Nursing students being more outgoing, open-minded, agreeable or conscientious seem to be more ready for interprofessional learning. Consequently, personality is of significance for nursing students' readiness for interprofessional learning.

Background The standardized training system for newly graduated registered nurses (NGRNs) in China is different from that of other countries in the world, especially when frequent disasters occur, emergency department (ED) training is particularly important. However, the work experience of new Chinese nurses in standardized training in the emergency department still remained unclear. Objectives To explore the experience of newly recruited nurses in standardized training in the emergency department. Design Qualitative research. Setting A 3rd level hospital in Shanghai, China. Participants Fifteen NGRNs undergoing standardized training in the ED. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted between August and September 2020. Colaizzi seven-step framework was applied for data analysis. Results Three main themes emerged: high occupational pressure, competency enhancement in ED and high satisfaction with standard training. Conclusions It is very important and necessary for NGRNs to have a training period in the emergency department. This not only helps NGRNs to improve their abilities in emergency care, but also reserve talents during emergency responses. At the same time, the training methods for NGRNs should be refined and improved, and effective support should be provided. This can help NGRNs relieve from work pressure, better and rapidly adapt to the clinical environment and enter the nursing role.

Background The core competencies of new graduate nurses (NGNs) have significant health outcomes in the clinical environment. However, these nurses experience a theory-practice gap, which creates a barrier in the transition process when they first enter the clinical workplace. Objective To understand the general overview of the transition of the core competencies of NGNs to clinical practice in China and the influencing factors. Design and setting A cross-sectional study design consisting of a multi-stratified grounded random sample from 31 hospitals in seven regions nationwide. Participants 2400 NGNs were recruited by email. Methods The Competencies Inventory for Registered Nurse (CIRN) was applied to evaluate NGNs' core competencies. Results NGNs performed best on leadership and worst on critical thinking or research aptitude. Core competencies were predicted by depressive symptoms, worked for two-three years, having a nurse-in-charge title, professional values, department, happiness, etc. Besides, the preceptor program also has significant to core competencies. Conclusion The average level of Chinese NGNs' core competencies was at a moderate level, which wasn't well optimized. It is recommended to adopt appropriate interventions to support NGNs. With an increase in work years and the accumulation of more work experience, the corresponding core competencies of NGNs will also improve. Preceptor institutions, limiting first-degree recruitment, and early ICU or operating room department rotations can be carried out by nursing educators to improve core competencies.

Background Clinical practicum is a major learning component for pre-registration nursing students. Various clinical practicum models have been used to facilitate students' clinical learning experiences, employing both university-based and hospital-based clinical teachers. Considering the strengths and limitations of these clinical practicum models, along with nursing workforce shortages, we developed and tested an innovative clinical partnership model (CPM) in Hong Kong. Objective To evaluate an innovative CPM among nursing students actual and preferred clinical learning environment, compared with a conventional facilitation model (CFM). Design A non-randomized controlled trial examining students' clinical experiences, comparing the CPM (supervised by hospital clinical teacher) with the CFM (supervised by university clinical teacher). Setting One university in Hong Kong. Participants Pre-registration nursing students (N = 331), including bachelor of nursing (n = 246 year three-BN) and masters-entry nursing (n = 85 year one-MNSP). Methods Students were assigned to either the CPM (n = 48 BN plus n = 85 MNSP students) or the CFM (n = 198 BN students) for their clinical practice experiences in an acute medical-surgical ward. Clinical teachers supervised between 6 and 8 students at a time, during these clinical practicums (duration = 4–6 weeks). At the end of the clinical practicum, students were invited to complete the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI). Analysis of covariance was used to compare groups; adjusted for age, gender and prior work experience. Results A total of 259 students (mean age = 22 years, 76% female, 81% prior work experience) completed the CLEI (78% response rate). Students had higher scores on preferred versus actual experiences, in all domains of the CLEI. CPM student experiences indicated a higher preferred task orientation (p = 0.004), while CFM student experiences indicated a higher actual (p Conclusions The CPM draws on the strengths of existing clinical learning models and provides complementary methods to facilitate clinical learning for pre-registration nursing students. Additional studies examining this CPM with longer duration of clinical practicum are recommended.

Background Clinical Placements are an essential component of bridging the gap between academic theory and nursing practice. There are multiple clinical models designed to ease the transition from student to professional, yet there has been little exploration of such models and their impact on graduates' perceptions of work-readiness. Objectives This cross sectional study examined perceptions of work-readiness of new graduate nurses who attended one of the following clinical teaching models: the University Fellowship Program (UFP), the Traditional Multi-facility Clinical Model (TMCPM), and the Mixed Program (MP). Methods Three groups of first year graduate nurses (UFP, TMCPM, and MP) were compared using the Work-readiness Scale, a validated and reliable tool, which assessed nurses' perceptions of work-readiness in four domains: organizational acumen, personal work characteristics, social intelligence, and work competence. A multivariable Generalized Estimating Equations regression investigated socio-demographic and teaching-modelrelated factors associated with work-readiness. Results Of 43 nurses approached, 28 completed the survey (65% response rate) of whom 6 were UFP attendants, 8 attended the TMCPM and 14 the MP. Those who had attended the UFP scored higher than the other two in all four domains; however, the crude between-group comparisons did not yield statistically significant results. Only after accounting for age, gender, teaching setting and prior work experience, the multivariable model showed that undertaking the UFP was likely to increase perceptions of work-readiness by 1.4 points (95% CI 0.11–2.69), P = 0.03). The UFP was superior to the other two placement models. Conclusion The study suggests that the UFP may enhance graduate nurses' perceptions of work readiness.

There is a shortage of nurses working in the mental health field globally. The aim of the present study was to examine Singapore nursing students' attitudes towards specializing in psychiatric nursing by examining the pre-nursing and nursing school factors as well as attitudes towards psychiatry and personality traits.A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 500 nursing students from four nursing institutions in Singapore. Students' attitudes towards psychiatry (ATP-18), perception of psychiatric nursing career aspects relative to other fields, and personality traits (mini-IPIP) were assessed. The main outcome measure was likelihood of specializing in psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression was used to examine the combined effect of factors upon the outcome.Twenty-six students (5.2%) rated "definitely decided to do" psychiatric nursing. Pre-nursing school factors associated with choosing psychiatry included ethnicity, current education, parents' wishes, having personal/family experience of mental illness, prior work experience, interest in psychiatric nursing and psychology module taken prior to current school admission. Nursing school factors such as teaching methods and clinical exposure were not associated with choosing psychiatric nursing. Positive attitudes towards psychiatry, perception of better career aspects in psychiatric nursing relative to other fields, and the personality traits of extraversion and intellect/imagination were associated with likelihood of choosing psychiatric nursing. Logistic regression revealed Malay (OR: 1.90, 1.14-3.16, p=0.013) and Indian ethnicity (OR: 2.56, 1.32-4.96, p=0.005), interest in psychiatry (OR: 22.56, 8.22-61.92, p0.001), psychology module prior to current school admission (OR: 2.31, 1.28-4.17, p=0.005), better perceived job prospects in psychiatric nursing than other fields (OR: 1.91, 1.21-3.04, p=0.006), extraversion (OR: 1.09, 1.02-1.17, p=0.012) and positive attitude towards psychiatry (OR: 2.72, 1.75-4.23, p0.001) as factors associated with students choosing psychiatric nursing.The selection of psychiatry as a specialty by nursing students was affected by pre-nursing school factors. Taking these factors into consideration may improve recruitment and alleviate the shortages in the psychiatric nursing field.

Background Lower work readiness is tied to anxiety, high turnover and nurse transition failure. An assessment of work readiness is necessary. To date, no relative scale exists in China. Thus, a work readiness related scale is urgently needed. Objectives To assess the psychometric properties of the scale, and look into the status of Chinese graduate nurse work readiness and factors associated with work readiness. Design, settings, and participants. Both psychometric assessment and associated factors are designed with cross-sectional studies. 832 and 435 graduate nurses were recruited in the above two studies, respectively. Methods Brislin's transition model was utilized for the transition process, and a six-expert panel and preliminary survey were conducted for face validity and testing the transition version respectively. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were applied for reliability and validity testing. Additionally, a linear regression method was carried out for analyzing influencing factors of work readiness of graduate nurses across China. Results A 37-item Chinese version scale was proven to have great psychometric qualities. Five factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, which can explain 68.637% of the total variance. Furthermore, the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrates the fit indices of a five factors mode: X2/df = 1.769, RMSEA = 0.067, NFI = 0.859, RFI = 0.839, IFI = 0.934, CFI = 0.933, TLI = 0.923. Intra-class correlation coefficient, Cronbach's α and Guttman Split-half were 0.805, 0.960 and 0.903, respectively. Interpersonal relationships, leadership experience, scholarship, work experience and willingness to be nurses were associated with the potential to achieve higher work readiness. Conclusion The Chinese version of WRS-GN with good validity and reliability can be utilized for assessment of work readiness. Besides, improving work readiness of graduate nurses based on above five associated factors, educators and hospital managers could help graduate nurses having a smooth transition for a stable nursing workforce.

Summary Background The aging population is a globally recognized challenge for the health care service. The growing number of older people will probably lead to increased demands for nurses working in elderly care. Clinical practice has been shown to have an impact on how student nurses perceive a particular field of nursing. Objectives To compare perceptions of the clinical learning environment in nursing homes among students considering a career in aged care or not, and to examine the difference in age, gender and previous working experience as health care assistants in elderly care between the two groups. Design This was a cross-sectional study using the Swedish version of the Clinical Learning Environment and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale. Methods Consecutive sampling was performed over three semesters from September 2011 to December 2012. The survey was conducted with 183 student nurses. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to examine differences in relation to two groups namely student nurses who did or did not consider to work in elderly care. A chi-square test of independence was performed to examine the difference in age, gender and previous working experience between the two groups. Results The analysis leaned towards an overall positive evaluation of the clinical learning environment with more positive values for students considering a career. There were no significant differences between younger students (18–23) and older students (24–50) regarding willingness to work in elderly care or not. Neither was any significant difference displayed between students, based on gender nor for previous work experience. Conclusion Age, gender and previous work experiences as health care assistants did not impact on students' willingness to work in elderly care. Future studies need to acknowledge the complexity of why student nurses choose a particular pathway in nursing by longitudinal studies following cohorts of students during the course of the nursing programme.

Summary Background One major challenge facing the health care systems worldwide is the growing demand for registered nurses able to provide qualified nursing care for a vulnerable population. Positive learning experiences during clinical practice influence not only learning outcomes, but also how students reason in relation to future career choices. Objectives To investigate student nurses' experiences of the clinical learning environment during clinical practice in nursing homes, and to compare perceptions among student nurses with or without prior work experience as health care assistants in elderly care. Design A cross-sectional study was designed, utilising the Swedish version of the CLES + T evaluation scale. Methods 260 student nurses (response rate 76%) who had completed a five week long clinical placement in nursing homes returned the questionnaire during the data collection period in 2011–2012. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Mann–Whitney U -test was used to examine differences in relation to students with or without prior experience of elderly care. Results Overall, the clinical learning environment was evaluated in a predominantly positive way. The sub-dimension Supervisory relationship displayed the highest mean value, and the lowest score was calculated for the sub-dimension Leadership style of the ward manager. Statistical significant differences between sub-groups were displayed for four out of 34 items. Conclusion The supervisory relationship had the greatest impact on how student nurses experienced the clinical learning environment in nursing homes. It is therefore, of utmost importance that collaborative activities, between educational and nursing home settings, supporting the work of preceptors are established and maintained.

Summary Background Research shows that nurses tend to be lacking cultural competence, which may influence treatment and care for ethnic minority patients negatively. Purpose To investigate how Medical Unit nurses and Psychiatric Unit nurses assess their own competency concerning patients with minority backgrounds. The topics covered are: intercultural knowledge, knowledge of medical traditions and differences in illness etiology, symptom assessment, and in-service education and availability of advice. These topics are seen in relation to the nurses' years of work experience. Methods Three focus group interviews were conducted before the development of a Likert-type questionnaire containing six topics and a total of 35 statements. 145 Medical Unit nurses (90%) and 100 Psychiatric Unit nurses (81%) returned the questionnaire. SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data; hermeneutic thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. Results Both the Medical Unit nurses and the Psychiatric Unit nurses indicated that knowledge about illness and treatment philosophies other than Western biomedicine was inadequate. The respondents also found symptom assessment difficult, and they were offered little, if any, in-service education. Work experience added little substantive knowledge. Conclusion Experience alone does not equip nurses with adequate knowledge for intercultural symptom assessment and culturally competent treatment and care. Formal education, in-service classes, courses, feedback and access to relevant information are needed together with reflection upon clinical practice.

Summary Purpose To examine the work values of Swiss healthcare assistant students, who, at the end of their vocational education in hospitals and nursing homes, choose to pursue a registered nurse degree. Design A prospective, cross-sectional survey was administered to a full cohort of healthcare assistant students in their last year of study in the canton of Bern (n=272). Method Multivariate methods (logistic regression) were applied to estimate the joint effect of work experience and work values in choosing to pursue a registered nurse education. Findings Among work values, extrinsic values (regarding wage, career und educational perspectives) had a strong effect on the decisions of healthcare assistant students to pursue further education as registered nurses. Grades, socio-economic background and satisfaction during education also had an effect. Conclusions Higher valuation of income, career and further education affect the career intentions of nursing assistants who have already obtained a recognized healthcare education and nursing experience. Teachers and trainers should actively identify the work values and expectations of these students. Provision of adequate advice and suggestions for the career development of these students may be an important route by which to address the nursing shortage and recruitment problems.

Summary Aim The aim of the study was to develop and validate an instrument to evaluate nurses' knowledge and to understand the obstacles that they encounter when administering resuscitation medications. Background Insufficient knowledge is a major factor in nurses' drug administration errors. Resuscitation involves situations in which doctors issue oral orders, and is inherently highly stressful. Sufficient knowledge is vital for nurses if they are to respond quickly and accurately when administering resuscitation medications. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire (20 true-false questions) developed from literature and expert input, and validated by subject experts and one pilot study, was used to evaluate nurses' knowledge of resuscitation medications. Stratified sampling and descriptive statistics were applied. Results A total of 188 nurses participated. The overall correct answer rate was 70.5% and the greater the nurse's work experience the higher the score. Only 8% of nurses considered themselves to have sufficient knowledge and 73.9% hoped to gain more training about resuscitation medications. The leading obstacle reported was “interruption of the drug administration procedure on resuscitation” (62.8%). Seventeen out of 20 questions achieved a discriminatory power of over 0.36, indicating good to excellent questions. In the study, a total of 16 resuscitation medication errors were reported by the participants, in which the errors involved atropine (five cases), epinephrine (three cases) and others (eight cases). The errors mainly involved misinterpretation of orders, insufficient knowledge and confusing certain drugs for other look-alike drugs. Conclusion Evidence-based results strongly suggest that nurses have insufficient knowledge and could benefit from longer working experience and additional training about resuscitation medications. Further research to validate the instrument is needed and the education of nurses regarding resuscitation medications is recommended.

Summary Background National and international evidence indicates that university students engage in employment whilst studying. Research has suggested that nursing students either enter training with previous care experience or tend to work part time in a health related area whilst undertaking higher education. The impact of this on the socialisation process remains unclear. Objectives Based on the symbolic interactionist framework, this paper reports on a theme from a large mixed methods study — the extent and implications of student nurses' work experience on learning and training. Design One qualitative stage from a sequential exploratory mixed methods design. Settings One higher education institution in the United Kingdom. Participants Forty-five pre-registration nursing students. Methods Thirty-two students took part in four focus groups and 13 took part in individual interviews. Results Findings revealed that 27 (60%) of students were in paid nursing related employment. This was reported to be advantageous by most participants with regards to enhancing confidence, skills and time spent in the clinical setting. However, it was also perceived by a small number of participants as being detrimental to subsequent learning resulting in role confusion, influencing placement behaviour, and preferences for future nursing practice. Student participants with no prior work experience believed this placed them at a disadvantage, negatively influencing their learning, ability to fit in, and adjustment on placement. Findings have suggested that student participants desire more recognition of the experience and skills they have gained from their employment. Conclusions Whilst care experience among the student nursing population is advocated, the results of this study show that it is perceived to impinged on their learning and educational journey. Policy makers, educationalists and health service providers need to be aware of the students who operate within the dual roles of student and health care worker so as to provide guidance and appropriate direction.

Summary Background New nursing graduates' readiness for practice often does not meet the requirements needed in the real situation of clinical sites. Therefore, nurse education has placed more emphasis on developing students' technical skills to cultivate proficiencies needed for clinical sites. Objectives To develop a program including deliberate skill practices and technical skill testing, each conducted before students' clinical practicum, and to examine the program's effects on nursing students' clinical competence. Design The study was a repeated measure correlational design. Settings One nursing university. Participants Two-hundred-fifty-six and 266 nursing students in a RN-to-BSN night school program in Taiwan completed pretest and posttest surveys, respectively in 2009 and 2010. Their mean age was 22.61 years and had worked 12.75 months as a nurse. Methods Students were asked to participate in the deliberate nursing practice program, which includes skill practice and tests, before their last clinical practicum. The Clinical Competence Questionnaire was used to measure the outcome of deliberate practice. Results Findings indicated that participants who had nursing work experience, a higher grade point average, practiced their skills by watching videos, and higher pretest competence scores exhibited significantly higher posttest competence scores. Participants who worked in the operating room/outpatient department, scored higher on self-confidence in clinical performance, and had a higher level of future job stress exhibited significantly lower posttest competence scores. Conclusions Although work experience increased clinical competence, working in the operating room/outpatient department where many nursing skills were not performed did not have the effects. In contrast, skill reviews and better performance before practice promoted competence. Attaining motor skill competency is a slow process requiring practices. Thus, providing deliberate skill-practice program is suggested to help students increase their competence.

BackgroundIn the Netherlands, the distinction between Bachelor degree and diploma nursing educational levels remains unclear. The added value of Bachelor degree nurses and how they develop professionally after graduation are subject to debate.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate whether Bachelor degree nurses have higher critical thinking skills than diploma nurses do and whether there is a positive relationship between higher critical thinking skills and self-efficacy beliefs. Outcomes might provide instruments that are helpful in positioning of nursing levels in education and practice.ParticipantsQuestionnaire data were used of a sample of 95 registered mental health staff nurses (62 diploma nurses and 33 Bachelor degree nurses).MethodsFirst, ANOVA was performed to test whether the two groups were comparable with respect to elements of work experience. Second, t-tests were conducted to compare the two groups of nurses on self-efficacy, perceived performance and critical thinking outcomes. Third, relationships between the study variables were investigated. Finally, structural equation modelling using AMOS was applied to test the relationships.ResultsThe hypothesis that Bachelor degree nurses are better critical thinkers than diploma nurses was supported (p < 0.01). Years in function turned out to be positively related to self-efficacy beliefs (p < 0.01). No significant relation was found between the level of education and self-efficacy beliefs.ConclusionsThe results of this study support career development and facilitate more efficient positioning of nursing levels.Keywords: Critical thinking, Self-efficacy, Nursing, Organisation, Educational level

Background After disasters, the disaster medical assistance team composed of skilful healthcare staff should be available at the disaster site for providing care to disaster's victims. It is believed that midwives are at the front line of the disaster management team and should be prepared for providing care to mothers and children. Objectives To investigate the midwifery students' basic educational needs for taking the role of an assistant in disaster situations. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban area of Iran, in year 2015. Participants Two hundred and thirty-one final-year midwifery students with bachelor and master degrees in midwifery participated in this study. Setting and Samples The samples were chosen using a census method from four nursing and midwifery schools affiliated with four medical sciences universities in Tehran, Iran. Methods The informed consent form was signed by the samples before data collection. The samples were asked to fill out the researcher's made questionnaires consisting of the demographic data form and the basic educational needs for taking the role of an assistant in disaster situations. The later was consisted of two parts: ‘coping with disaster situations' and ‘performing the triage'. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS software for Windows. Results The mean score of coping with disaster situations was 31.3±8.2 (out of 45). Also, the mean score of performing the triage was 14.6±11.8 (out of 20). It was found that 68.8 and 74% of the students in coping with disaster situations and performing the triage, respectively had high and very high educational needs. The highest educational need was reported in the areas of ‘time management' and ‘the use of equipment in disaster situations'. About 86.8% of the students declared that academic education did not prepared them for taking roles in disaster situations. Only 10.6% passed educational courses about disasters before and 11.5% had the work experience in disaster situations. There was a statistically significant relationship between the students' age ( P =0.01), participation in educational courses ( P =0.005) and the work experience in disaster situations ( P =0.04) and educational needs. Conclusions Our findings showed that the midwifery students had high needs for education regarding disaster situations. Therefore, the incorporation of disaster management content in the midwifery degree curricula is suggested.

Summary Evidence-based nursing practices using the latest knowledge require nursing education and further education based on the latest research findings. Anyhow, research utilisation by nursing teachers is poorly known. The aim of this study was to assess research utilisation by nursing teachers and connections of teachers background, further education and research activity variables to research utilisation on nursing education. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used. A structured questionnaire specifically designed for this study which focused on research utilisation by nursing teachers were used. Data were collected from all nursing schools in Finland using a survey via the Internet. Participating nursing teachers totaled 339, with a response rate of 46%. The mean age of teachers was 51 years and most had master's degrees, although 12% had a licentiate or PhD. Most nursing teachers had taken further education, were members of research and development teams and had publications. Research utilisation in nursing teaching was connected to teachers age, nursing diploma, academic degree, work experience, official title, further education, research and development activities and publication activity. Conclusion is that nursing teachers with doctoral degrees make better use of research on nursing education than those with master's degrees.

Background: Nursing competence is of significant importance for patient care. Newly graduated nursing students rate their competence as high. However, the impact of different designs of nursing curricula on nursing students' self-reported nursing competence areas is seldom reported. Objectives: To compare newly graduated nursing students' self-reported professional competence before and after the implementation of a new nursing curriculum. The study had a descriptive comparative design. Nursing students, who graduated in 2011, having studied according to an older curriculum, were compared with those who graduated in 2014, after a new nursing curriculum with more focus on person-centered nursing had been implemented. Setting: A higher education nursing program at a Swedish university. Participants: In total, 119 (2011 n = 69, 2014 n = 50) nursing students responded. Methods: Nursing students' self-reported professional competencies were assessed with the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) scale. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups of nursing students, who graduated in 2011 and 2014, respectively, with regard to age, sex, education, or work experience. Both groups rated their competencies as very high. Competence in value-based nursing was perceived to be significantly higher after the change in curriculum. The lowest competence, both in 2011 and 2014, was reported in education and supervision of staff and students. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that newly graduated nursing students- both those following the old curriculum and the first batch of students following the new one - perceive that their professional competence is high. Competence in value-based nursing, measured with the NPC scale, was reported higher after the implementation of a new curriculum, reflecting curriculum changes with more focus on person-centered nursing. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summary Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward mental health nursing and how these attitudes influenced their professional career choices in mental health nursing. Design A descriptive, online survey was utilized to examine students' perceptions of mental health nursing. A total of 229 junior and senior nursing students were recruited from eight nursing colleges in Midwestern United States to participate in this survey. Results Students of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and nursing programs did not report significantly different perceptions of: (a) knowledge of mental illness; (b) negative stereotypes; (c) interest in mental health nursing as a future career; and (d), and beliefs that psychiatric nurses provide a valuable contribution to consumers and the community. Negative stereotypes were significantly different between students who had mental health nursing preparation either in class ( p =0.0147) or in clinical practice ( p =0.0018) and students who had not. There were significant differences in anxiety about mental illness between students who had classes on mental health nursing ( p =.0005), clinical experience ( p =0.0035), and work experience in the mental health field ( p =0.0012). Significant differences in an interest in a future career in mental health nursing emerged between students with and without prior mental health experience and between students with and without an interest in an externship program with p -values of 0.0012 and Conclusions The more exposure that students have to mental health nursing through clinical experiences, theory classes, and previous work in the field, the more prepared they feel about caring for persons with mental health issues.

There are no formal demands ofmathematical skills and knowledge for students in Sweden who are admitted to schools of nursing. In order to investigate these abilities in beginner nurse students a mathematics test was given. Average test scores are presented in relation to the students' educational background before they enter the nursing programme. Students coming from the two-year integrated nurse education at upper secondary school and students admitted on basis of age and work experience, had significantly lower scores in comparison to students from the regular two- or three-year upper secondary education. Differences with respect to background were also found concerning the type of items solved. The results are discussed in relation to patient safety and the scheduled time for training drug dosage calculation in schools of nursing. On average, the students had been offered 12 hours of scheduled time during the two-year nurse education. The consequence of this investigation would be to improve the Swedish nurse education programme in such a way that mathematical knowledge and skills from the upper secondary school will be a requirement for admission.

Summary The purpose of this study was to identify the need and degree of interest for continuing education of paediatric nurses at the Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina. Design Descriptive study with prospective approach, which involved the use of surveys to elicit data collection. Data were collected during January and May of 2008. Results In this study 94% of paediatric nurses who participated in the study have secondary education in nursing, and 80% have not attended any forms of continuing education thus far, and 8% had presented papers at national seminars. No forms of continuing education were found dominant, while nurses with less years of work experience, showed statistically much greater interest in continuing education. Conclusion Paediatric nurses in this study show the need for moral, ethical, and financial support from their supervisors and employers to realize their interest in continuing education, in accordance with their individual abilities. Implication for practice Information about the specific educational needs of paediatric nurses in terms of content and methods provide a valuable guide for planning the effective continuing education programs, seminars, and professional conferences for improving clinical practice and providing exemplary nursing care to children.

Summary Objectives To describe and characterize the rates and the nature of needlestick injuries among nursing students in China. Methods A questionnaire was delivered to 248 randomly selected nursing students from seven training hospitals to obtain information relevant occupational needlestick injuries. Results A total of 1144 incidents of needlestick injuries were reported among the 246 nurses during the time period of internship. The overall rate of needlestick injuries among these nurses was 100%, according to this survey. Insufficient awareness of occupational safety and limited work experience with handling needlestick injuries in these nurse students were significantly reported. In addition, when stratified by departments, the highest rate of needlestick injuries was seen in the surgery department. The occurrence of needlestick injuries is significantly related to clinical practice behaviors. Conclusions Needlestick injuries are commonly reported in nursing students in China. Enhanced awareness of occupational safety in nursing students is expected to reduce the risk of needlestick injuries.

The aim of nursing education is a development of the nursing profession. One way to promote development is to clarify the professional role. The role definition for nursing is mostly transmitted through tacit knowledge. We consider that the professional development of the nursing profession in Sweden requires a clear and well-defined nurse role. Stated goals of professional programmes for nursing do not include the entire body of tacit knowledge. The overall development requires recognition of a professional status together with a clear and well-defined role. We have found a significant change in the distribution of role-conceptions which occurred after the nurses had experienced their first year as registered nurses, and which did not occur during the educational process. This indicates that the conceptions of the need for a more clearly defined nursing role are assimilated during work experience. This confirms the necessity and importance of role modelling, role repetition and interactions with a professional group as part of the educational process.

This paper, based on a review of the literature, discusses resilience and the application of resilience research to nursing education. The paper advances the educational discourse on professional preparation, arguing that resilience theory should be part of the educational content and taught in a way that promotes reflection and application in order to give students strength, focus and endurance in the workplace. In addition, we argue that resilience and similar qualities ought to be emphasised in clinical experience courses, internships, work integrated learning and other work experience courses. Recommendations for building resilience in health professionals through education, training and modifications in workplace culture, as well as suggestions for priorities in research are presented.

Summary Context The quality of clinical learning environment is an important factor for nursing students’ clinical experience and it is determined above all by a good atmosphere in the ward. The Clinical Environment Inventory (CLEI) has been developed to evaluate clinical learning environments. The CLEI has been found to be homogeneous and its validity has been established in several countries (Australia, England and China). Methods An exploratory study about Italian nursing students’ perceptions of their learning environment was carried out using Chan’s Clinical Learning Environment Inventory . The CLEI was translated into Italian and administered to 232 students from three levels of the nursing program in Trento hospital. The tool was administered after they finished the clinical placements. Results All of the questionnaires distributed were returned completed. The students overall perceived their clinical learning environment as good. Third year’s students were extremely satisfied (94%) with activities done on the ward, while second year’s students reported less satisfaction (88%). All the students (99%) agreed that practical work experience was useful and not a waste of time. Conclusions This study shows that Italian nursing students have a positive perception of the clinical learning environment, although there remains room for improvement.

Work experience has been a feature of the secondary school curriculum in the United Kingdom for a number of years. Usually requested by the pupil, it aims to provide opportunities for school pupils to enhance their knowledge and understanding of an occupation. The main benefits are claimed to be that it can help pupils develop an insight into the skills and attitudes required for an occupation and an awareness of career opportunities. However the quality and choice of placements are considered to be of great importance in this process and in influencing career choice [Department for Education and Skills (DfES), 2002a. Work Experience: A Guide for Employers. Department for Education and Skills, London]. As university departments of nursing experience a decline in the number of school pupils entering student nurse education programmes, and with the competition for school leavers becoming even greater, it is important to consider whether school pupils have access to appropriate work placements in nursing and what influence their experience has on pursuing nursing as a career choice. This paper is based on interview data from 20 high academic achieving fifth and sixth year school pupils in Scotland, paradigmatic cases from a larger survey sample (n=1062), who had considered nursing as a possible career choice within their career preference cluster, but then later disregarded nursing and decided to pursue medicine or another health care profession. This was partly reported by Neilson and Lauder [Neilson, G.R., Lauder, W., 2008. What do high academic achieving school pupils really think about a career in nursing: analysis of the narrative from paradigmatic case interviews. Nurse Education Today 28(6), 680-690] which examined what high academic achieving school pupils really thought about a career in nursing. However, the data was particularly striking in revealing the poor quality of nursing work experience for the pupils, and also their proposal that there was a need for work experience which was more representative of the reality of nursing. Participants reported that proper work experience in nursing could make it more attractive as a career choice but that there were difficulties and barriers in obtaining an appropriate work experience in nursing. These included unhelpful attitudes of teachers towards work experience in nursing in general and the placements themselves which were typically in a nursing home or a care home. They felt that departments of nursing within universities should have an input into organising more realistic work placements and that their involvement could foster greater interest amongst pupils in nursing as a career.

The aim of any health care service is to provide optimal quality care to clients and families regardless of their ethnic group. As today's Australian society comprises a multicultural population that encompasses clients with different cultural norms and values, this study examined undergraduate nursing students' self-efficacy in providing transcultural nursing care. A sample of 196 nursing students enrolled in the first and fourth year of a pre-registration nursing program in a Western Australian University were invited to participate in a survey incorporating a transcultural self-efficacy tool (TSET) designed by Jeffery [Unpublished instrument copyrighted by author, 1994]. The findings revealed that fourth year students, exposed to increased theoretical information and clinical experience, had a more positive perception of their self-efficacy in providing transcultural nursing skills than the first year students. In addition, the study found that age, gender, country of birth, languages spoken at home and previous work experience did not influence the nursing students' perception of self-efficacy in performing transcultural care. The study supports the notion that educational preparation and relevant clinical experience is important in providing nursing students with the opportunity to develop self-efficacy in performing effective and efficient transcultural nursing in today's multicultural health care system. It is for this reason that educators need to focus on providing students with relevant theoretical information and ensure sufficient clinical exposure to support student learning in the undergraduate program.

This paper sets out to investigate the experiences of older students undertaking a Pre-registration Diploma in Nursing in a large college of nursing in Belfast. Questionnaires were sent to all students aged 21 years or over on starting the course since its inception in February 1991. These amounted to 92 students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected regarding the problems, needs and issues surrounding older students. The findings indicate that the college is not adequately meeting the needs of many older students and this is also the case when students are in the clinical area. Most of the respondents already had a high level of education and work experience. However, most were disappointed by the fact that this experience and their maturity was not always recognized, particularly in the clinical setting. This study provides clear evidence to suggest that older students perceive themselves to be more motivated than younger students and better able to study independently. However, even though older students may have some advantages over younger students they do have specific problems and needs which should be addressed. These are related to various issues amongst which may be finance, family commitments, academic study, difficulties in their adaptability and the speed at which they are able to learn new skills.

Summary This study aimed to examine nurse students' interest in gerontological nursing and the factors enhancing and decreasing that interest. The quantitative data was collected in the autumn of 2009 using a structured instrument with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which was developed for this study based on the literature review. Graduating nurse students (n=183) from three polytechnics in Southern Finland participated in the study. The data was analysed statistically using descriptive statistics and t -test for independent samples to indicate statistical significance. The students did not clearly state if they are interested in gerontological nursing as a future career choice or not. Students who had prior gerontological nursing work experience, women, and students who had learned about gerontological nursing through an independent course were the most interested in the field. The factors that enhance interest are the quality of gerontological nursing, the challenging aspects of the field and the opportunities for career advancement, the gerontological nursing education and the practical training in gerontological nursing. On the basis of the results, it seems that it is possible to enhance nurse students' interest in gerontological nursing as a future career choice.

AN INNOVATION in the method of preparation of new nurse teachers is under way in the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The scheme is proving effective and is economical of money and other resources. The preparation has its foundation in the existing course for the Certificate in Education (Further Education) of the Council for National Academic Awards. To that course is added an extra syllabus specially written for intending nurse teachers. The course for the Certificate in Education (FE) ('the basic course') is a part-time day-release and block course. The students are lecturers in Further Education and other parts of the public sector including nurses. They are in Colleges for a total of 90 days over 2 years. 'The extra course' which covers the extra syllabus for nurses only, is achieved by half-day release for an additional 80 half-days over the 2 years of the course. The scheme has been devised by the providing Colleges, Plymouth Polytechnic and Cornwall Technical College, in close co-operation with the Schools of Nursing in Devon and Cornwall at Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay, and Truro. The General Nursing Council for England and Wales validates the course and sponsors the students, who are usually staff members of the four Schools of Nursing. Six nurses are sponsored for each year of the course. The scheme permits the registration as nurse tutors of applicants as soon as they have successfully completed the courses. Before the scheme existed, the General Nursing Council required of most students that, after gaining the CNAA's Certificate in Education (FE), they should spend a 'probationary' year of work experience in a School of Nursing. The belief developed that the unspecified experience during that year was not providing a very valuable extra dimension to the new teacher's abilities. During the year the teacher, though employed as a member of a team in the School of Nursing, was not fully deployable while yet unregistered. Without altering the contents and structure of the

The plight of qualified nurse students seeking their university education is well known in North America. In this study the post basic degree programmes in the United Kingdom are described; in particular the approaches used by the teaching staff in selecting, organising and presenting the content and the student attitude toward the approaches. A descriptive survey design was used. The findings of the study indicate that the qualified nurses entering the first degree programmes are a heterogeneous group who are highly motivated and have already gained knowledge through life and work experience. On the other hand, they are also burdened with a high degree of anxiety and fear such as attitudinal change, cultural shock, coping with academic life and loss of friendship due to conflict at work with their peers.