Self-assessment and reflection in nurse education

It is widely argued that nurse learners should learn to become reflective practitioners and that self-assessment plays a part in this (Ekebergh et al 2004, Thorpe 2004). Problems arise, however, when consideration is given to just how this right be achieved. This article examines the challenges of assessing reflection where self-assessment has played a part. It highlights the challenges that can arise when reflection and self-assessment are used for different educational purposes. It identifies why this work is challenging and suggests some parameters that may assist colleagues in making learning more successful.     

Developing critical ability in nurse education

This paper argues that all nurses need to develop critical ability, through the process of nurse education. The characteristics of critical ability are described and suggestions are offered for how nurse teachers may develop that ability in their learners.     

Using critical learning incidents in nurse education

This paper describes an attempt to provide a learning environment conducive to the development of conceptual skills in critical exploration and problem solving. This is achieved by using a method of reflecting on and about critical incidents encountered by student nurses during their nursing practice. It is argued that students need help in making links between theory and practice and the article relates how this may be achieved in workshops using mainly experiential techniques. The authors conclude that the use of such a strategy can make a valuable contribution to nurse education, enabling students to look at situations from multiple perspectives and heightening awareness of the complex skills involved in nursing.     

Facilitating peer group teaching within nurse education

Nurse teachers have an obligation to explore every teaching and learning method in order to prepare students to be able practitioners. In the wider educational field peer tutoring has been used to foster a deeper understanding of a subject area. Experiments using this method have been carried out extensively in America and are becoming more widespread in this country; however very little material is available on the use of this method in nurse education. The following article explains the use of peer tutoring as a method for developing teaching skills amongst student nurses. Two groups of learners were used in this exercise, the senior learners acting as peer tutors. Evaluation by nurse teachers and both groups of learners was favourable and the peer tutors were able to identify the benefits they received from the exercise.     

Perceived impact of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education

BackgroundFaculty practice is believed to positively affect health education, however limited research exists on the impact of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education.PurposeThe purpose was to explore the perceived impact of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education.MethodsA preliminary mixed methods approach was used to evaluate nurse practitioner student and faculty perspectives on the impact of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education. Student group interviews were conducted and practicing faculty were surveyed.ResultsStudy findings included student and faculty-perceived benefits and challenges of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education. Specific benefits were increased access to faculty preceptors and clinical sites for nurse practitioner students, influencing faculty-developed education materials, increased number of real-world examples, faculty credibility, applying evidence-based practice, and overall improvement in the quality of teaching. Specific challenges were time, faculty availability to students, managing multiple roles, and clinical sites not conducive to precepting.ConclusionThis study provided preliminary information on the perceived impact of faculty practice on nurse practitioner education including the benefits and challenges. Findings support faculty practice as having a positive perceived impact on nurse practitioner education.     

Cultural impact of Islam on the future directions of nurse education

In this paper the cultural impact of Islam on the future directions of nurse education is considered. In so doing, Islam is demonstrated as a living and growing religion, transcending almost all races and cultures in many parts of the globe. The historical review of Islam suggests its pervasive impact on almost all aspects of life: affecting both the East and West. In spite of an unjustified negative portrayal of Islam, it continues to grow at what is sometimes perceived as an unprecedented rate, having, it is estimated, one-billion followers, i.e. one-fifth of the world's population. This signals the need for nurse education to take on board curriculum measures to incorporate spiritual and cultural dimensions in the care of Muslim patients. Therefore, curriculum strategies are identified for putting into action educational programmes that address the needs of Muslims.     

Violence education in nursing: critical reflection on victims' stories

Violence against women is a major public health concern. This paper describes an educational strategy to increase nursing students' understanding of the experience of violence and to foster recognition and intervention with victims of violence. Students in an elective course were asked to critically reflect on the personal stories of victims/survivors of violence. The assignment provided four learning opportunities that include examination of societal myths on sexual victimization, understanding the lived experience of the victim, exploration of personal beliefs and values, and the relationship of the individual's experience to theoretical content of the course. Students gave permission for the use of quotes from papers to illustrate the learning opportunities.     

Current and future perspectives regarding the framework for nurse anesthesia education: nurse anesthesia education within the framework of nursing education

The experience of a hospital-based certificate program when it transfers ownership to a university and becomes a program in the School of Nursing is related. Earlier attempts to make such a move, steps in the planning process and the changing attitudes of university administrators are all explored. The advantages and disadvantages of such an affiliation are discussed. Overall, the transfer has proven to be a viable and mutually beneficial measure.     

The use of critical reflection in baccalaureate nursing education

Leaders in nursing education are incorporating innovative educational strategies, including reflection, which will more fully develop student nurses' intellectual capacities to conceptualize knowledge to better meet patients' needs (Boud, Keough, & Walker, 1998; Duraghee, 1996; Hallett, 1997). This article examines the theoretical basis for reflective practice and explores its usefulness in the development and transmission of nursing knowledge in baccalaureate nursing education. Critical reflection can be effectively utilized by leaders in baccalaureate nursing education in classrooms, clinical settings, service learning experiences, experiential learning activities, and in the instruction of ethical decision-making.     

Reconstructing the meaning given to critical incidents in nurse education

Critical incidents in nursing education are usually seen as puzzling or problematic events. This article asks what it means to “be critical” and poses that it is not the puzzling, but the everyday experiences that should be the focus of reflection. It is in taken for granted that embodied beliefs, values, personal biographies, culture and gender are most likely lead to practitioners constructing events as “normal”. This normalising acts as a barrier to rethinking beyond existing repertoires of practice. “Normal” incidents become “critical” (i.e. thought about) only when subjected to questions that challenge long held beliefs about what is seen to be “good”. In Nurse Education we must foster this deliberate questioning so that it becomes a natural part of practice outside formal education. Scaffolding for a different knowing in nurse education requires more than the presentation of alternatives and the provision of time for “reflection”. This article poses a series of key questions, that when applied to normal events, challenge existing discourses and provides the possibility of achieving new understanding of self in the cultural and political contexts of nursing.     

The impact of nurse education on the caring behaviours of nursing students

This study aimed to ascertain whether nursing students' perceptions of caring behaviours as part of nursing practice change over a three-year, pre-registration, undergraduate nursing course. Students are expected to have a predisposition to care with nurse education nurturing and developing this into professional caring behaviour. However, there is some evidence that this process inures rather than develops these behaviours. This was a quantitative, single cross section survey of two nursing student cohorts from one Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Wales, United Kingdom (UK). There were two sample groups; sample group A were 80 first year students and sample group B were 94 third year students. Students completed a questionnaire incorporating the caring behaviors inventory (CBI) [Wolf, Z.R., Colahan, M., Costello, A., Warwick, F., Ambrose, M.S., Giardino, E.R., 1994. Dimensions of nurse caring. Journal of Nursing Scholarship 26 (2), 107-111]. The key finding was a statistically significant difference in the means in caring behaviours between first years and third years with third years scoring lower than first years. This was exaggerated for those under 26 and increased further for those under 26 with no previous experience of caring. Caring is a core nursing value and a desirable attribute in nursing students, but the educational process seemed to reduce their caring behaviours.     

Literature review of the impact of nurse practitioners in critical care services

Aims: The comprehensive review sought to examine the impact of Critical Care Nurse Practitioner models, roles, activities and outcomes. Method: The Medical Literature Analyses and Retrieval (MEDLINE), The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); PubMED; PROQUEST; ScienceDirect; and the Cochrane database were accessed for the review. Alternative search engines were also included. The search was conducted with the key words: critical care, intensive care, acute, adult, paediatric, trauma, disease management programs, disease management, case management, neonatal, cardiology, neurological, retrieval, transfer and combined with Nurse Practitioner. From the identified 1048 articles 47 studies were considered relevant. Results: Internationally, Critical Care Nurse Practitioners were located in all intensive care areas and services including post intensive care discharge follow‐up, intensive care patient retrieval and transfers and follow‐up outpatient services. The role focussed on direct patient management, assessment, diagnosis, monitoring and procedural activities. Critical Care Nurse Practitioners improved patient flow and clinical outcomes by reducing patient complication, morbidity and mortality rates. Studies also demonstrated positive financial outcomes with reduced intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay and (re)admission rates. Conclusions: Internationally, Critical Care Nurse Practitioners are demonstrating substantial positive patient, service and nursing outcomes. Critical Care Nurse Practitioner models were cost effective, appropriate and efficient in the delivery of critical care services. Relevance to clinical practise: In Australia, there was minimal evidence of Critical Care Nurse Practitioner impact on adult, paediatric or neonatal intensive care units. The international evidence suggests that the contribution of the role needs to be strongly considered in light of future Australian service demands and workforce supply needs. In Australia, the Critical Care Nurse Practitioner role and range of activities falls well short of international evidence. Hence, it was necessary to scope the international literature to explore the potential for and impact of the Critical Care Nurse Practitioner role. The review leaves little doubt that the role offers significant potential for enhancing and contributing towards more equitable health services.