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Purpose: The social determinants of health (SDOH) include factors such as poverty, lack of access to health care, educational barriers, stigma, and racism which can contribute to health disparities and inequities. Minorities, rural communities, and underserved populations are disproportionately affected by SDOH. Nursing students must become aware of the SDOH in order to provide high-quality, holistic, patient-centered care to patients and their families. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a case-based workshop on undergraduate and graduate nursing students' knowledge and attitudes about the social determinants of health. Sample: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students from a public, liberal arts university in the rural, southeastern United States participated in the project. Method: Demographic information and survey data were obtained from participating undergraduate and graduate nursing students to assess the impact of a case-based SDOH workshop on their knowledge and attitudes about the SDOH. Findings: Five of the nine scored survey items had statistically significant differences in pre- and post-survey ranked scores. Increased student response scores were noted on items about SDOH knowledge and attitudes, including awareness of SDOH and vulnerable populations, knowledge of how social determinants and economic factors influence health, and confidence with working with vulnerable populations in the future. Four themes were apparent from analysis of the three open-ended questions: Awareness of Resources, Social Worker Perspective, Awareness of Social Determinants of Health, and Importance of Empathy. Conclusions: It is important for nurses in rural areas to understand the influence of social determinants on population and individual health when caring for and treating vulnerable patients so that they can provide more holistic care to patients and can address health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study aimed to evaluate the impact of interactive group activities on nurse practitioner student confidence in prescribing before their first clinical rotation, which improved students' self-perception of confidence in various prescribing aspects.

Background: Tweet-format narratives have been used in medical education to capture student experiences. However, there is a lack of research on tweet-format narratives during experiential learning in nursing education. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore the usefulness of tweet-format narratives to capture nursing student experiences and to elicit reflection during a service-learning trip. Methods: Eight bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students participated in a service-learning experience to Appalachia. A grounded theory approach with three data collection methods was used to determine the usefulness of tweet-format narratives to facilitate student reflection during the event. A free closed text-messaging app was used to house tweet-format narratives. A focus group session and post-survey were conducted at the conclusion of the trip. Emergent themes from each data collection method were compared and modified using iterative techniques and constant comparison analysis until the data were saturated. Results: Focus group responses were reflective in nature and included student elaboration about content themes that were previously identified by the tweet-based narratives. Modification of themes resulted in six final themes of improved skills, cultural competence, patient interaction, socioeconomic factors and health, landscape/clinic setting, and impactful shared experiences. Conclusions: It is important for nursing students to reflect on their experiences during service-learning immersion trips, especially as they relate to underserved rural populations and their unique healthcare scenarios. With the growth of social media, more nursing students are accustomed to communicating in a short, text-based format. The tweet-format narratives in the free closed text-messaging app allowed students to reflect on their experiences through open-ended comments and to communicate with other members of the group. Short text-based narratives can be an effective narrative medicine technique for nursing students participating in service-learning trips in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Background: It is important for faculty to prepare nurse practitioner students for their first clinical experiences to ensure student success. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement a preclinical immersion and determine student perceptions about this experience. Methods: A half-day preclinical immersion was instituted at the beginning of the family nurse practitioner students' first clinical course. Demographic information and survey data were obtained before the preclinical immersion experience, after completion of the immersion experience, and during the last 2 weeks of the first clinical course. Results: Students' ratings of their clinical skills and knowledge improved during the duration of the semester for 5 of the 7 items. Directed content analysis revealed 3 themes: understanding of clinical expectations, face-to-face interactions with faculty, and cognitive/emotional clinical perceptions. Conclusion: The use of preclinical immersion experiences may both practically and emotionally prepare students for graduate nursing clinical experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is important to foster active participation in online graduate nursing courses through creative teaching strategies, such as virtual synchronous debates., Method: A free videoconferencing system was used to complete the virtual synchronous debates. Demographic information and survey data were obtained to assess the impact of an online debate on critical thinking and presentation skills., Results: Seven of the 10 scored survey items had statistically significant differences in preimplementation and postimplementation ranked scores. Five qualitative themes were revealed: predebate anxiety/nervousness, technical issues/online format, learning experience, improved presentation skills, and group work., Conclusion: Through virtual synchronous debates, graduate nursing students can gain a stronger appreciation for ethical issues in health care, learn to succinctly convey their views, and increase their confidence in presenting a professional argument., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)