ABSTRACT
AIM: The purpose of the literature review is to evaluate and discuss the various types of academic support programs used for at-risk nursing students to identify those that are most effective. BACKGROUND: Nurse educators are concerned about students admitted to nursing programs who are unable to successfully complete the program. METHOD: To determine the format and efficacy of academic support programs, the literature review addressed the identification of at-risk students and academic support programs applicable to all student groups. RESULTS: Nurse educators need to develop and implement plans to support and retain students in order to address the impending nursing shortage. CONCLUSION: Replacing a student lost to academic failure is difficult. Although utilized in different manners, academic support programs are an effective retention strategy.
Subject(s)
Academic Failure , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Models, Educational , Students, Nursing , Academic Performance , Achievement , Humans , Mentoring , Nursing Education ResearchABSTRACT
Today's nursing programs are struggling to accommodate the changing needs of the health care environment and need to make changes in how students are taught. Using constructivism theory, whereby learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current or past knowledge, leaders in nursing education can make a paradigm shift toward concept-based curricula. This article presents a summary and analysis of constructivism and an innovative application of its active-learning principles to curriculum development, specifically for the education of nursing students.
Subject(s)
Education, Nursing , Nursing Theory , Problem-Based Learning , Cognitive Science , Curriculum , Humans , Models, Psychological , United StatesABSTRACT
Graduate nurses entering the workforce today are, at times, lacking in the area of critical thinking. Giving graduate nurses a concept map would provide a tool to guide their critical thinking until it becomes inherent or second nature. The concept map, a graphic illustration of key points, guides the focus of patient problems using a body system approach. This article details the use of a concept map in the application of knowledge to practice.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Concept Formation , Education, Nursing, Graduate , Mentors , Adaptation, Psychological , Fellowships and Scholarships , Humans , Models, Educational , Models, Nursing , Nursing Education Research , Problem Solving , ThinkingABSTRACT
Graduate nurses entering the workforce today are, at times, lacking in the area of critical thinking. Giving graduate nurses a concept map would provide a tool to guide their critical thinking until it becomes inherent or second nature. The concept map, a graphic illustration of key points, guides the focus of patient problems using a body system approach. This article details the use of a concept map in the application of knowledge to practice.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Concept Formation , Education, Nursing, Graduate , Mentors , Adaptation, Psychological , Fellowships and Scholarships , Humans , Models, Educational , Models, Nursing , Nursing Education Research , Problem Solving , ThinkingABSTRACT
Nursing theory challenges students to think abstractly and is often a difficult introduction to graduate study. Traditionally, concept analysis is useful in facilitating this abstract thinking. Concept maps are a way to visualize an individual's knowledge about a specific topic. Serial concept maps express the sequential evolution of a student's perceptions of a selected concept. Maps reveal individual differences in learning and perceptions, as well as progress in understanding the concept. Relationships are assessed and suggestions are made during serial mapping, which actively engages the students and faculty in dialogue that leads to increased understanding of the link between nursing theory and practice. Serial concept mapping lends itself well to both online and traditional classroom environments.
Subject(s)
Audiovisual Aids , Education, Nursing, Graduate/methods , Nursing Theory , Students, Nursing/psychology , Teaching/methods , Thinking , Comprehension , Concept Formation , Humans , Knowledge , Nursing Education Research , Psychology, Educational , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Registered nurses within the intensive care unit work within a fast-paced, highly technologic setting, caring for patients with complex needs. The purpose of this investigation was to identify stressors intensive care unit nurses perceived as most prevalent within their work setting, and the types of coping utilized by nurses in this setting. The research design was a descriptive method that utilized a survey among a convenience sample of nurses, employed within the intensive care unit setting at 7 acute care metropolitan hospitals. The quest is to foster effective coping mechanisms and reduce stress to increase staff retention, increasing job value, while increasing quality of patient care and safety.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Attitude of Health Personnel , Burnout, Professional , Intensive Care Units , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Adult , Avoidance Learning , Burnout, Professional/prevention & control , Burnout, Professional/psychology , Female , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Intensive Care Units/organization & administration , Job Satisfaction , Male , Middle Aged , Models, Psychological , Nursing Methodology Research , Nursing Staff, Hospital/education , Nursing Staff, Hospital/organization & administration , Occupational Health , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling/organization & administration , Personnel Turnover , Problem Solving , Risk Factors , Self Care/methods , Self Care/psychology , Social Support , Surveys and Questionnaires , WorkloadABSTRACT
Students must deal with vast amounts of information in multiple formats, yet their ability to organize and link data in a logical way varies widely. Concept mapping offers nurse educators a useful tool to assist nursing students in wading through and critically analyzing this information more effectively. This article explains concept/cognitive mapping as a teaching strategy for several aspects of course work. Types and examples of maps developed by undergraduate and graduate students are used as illustrations and points of discussion. Illustrations are assessed according to type of map, information presented, aspects of the maps that facilitate meaningful learning, and what information is missing. Strategies for remediation to help learners assimilate new information are included. Finally, implementation of mapping in nursing education and ideas for research in concept/cognitive mapping are discussed.
