Care, lead, and inspire: Infusing innovation into nursing research and evidence-based practice course.

BACKGROUND: Today's nursing workforce is expected to know how to identify and understand research methods and procedures and apply the most current evidence into daily practice. However, teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) in an undergraduate nursing curriculum poses unique challenges in overcoming students' perception of content relevancy to their educational experience, but also offers opportunities for innovation to facilitate critical thinking and clinical application. AIMS: The aim of this article is to report on how teaching and learning innovation was infused into a research and evidence-based practice course and the effect on students' perceptions of course values and effectiveness. METHODS: We used a Plan-Do-Study-Act approach to introduce innovation in an undergraduate course within a university setting. Final student course evaluations were used to measure outcomes on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = low and 5 = high) on the following dimensions: (1) value of overall educational experience, (2) relevancy of course content, (3) improvement in critical thinking, and (4) level of student-instructor interaction. RESULTS: Overall course evaluation scores improved greatly from 2.69 to 3.90 between Spring 2020 and Fall 2021. This finding remained relatively consistent across subsequent semesters (3.79 [Spring 2022], 3.84 [Fall 2022]). Students also reported appreciation and increased engagement and interest with the material after transitioning from examinations to a project-based assignment that allowed them to walk through the steps of EBP in class. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: We identified and implemented several innovative strategies to improve student outcomes and increase the relevance of the course content. These innovations can be easily incorporated at other universities to enhance delivery and student engagement in this content that is essential to advancing quality care in nursing and developing future nurse scientists and practice leaders who care, lead, and inspire.

Evaluating Burnout and Resiliency in New Graduate Nurses: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate current levels of and factors contributing toward burnout and resiliency among new graduate nurses to identify effective mitigation strategies. BACKGROUND: New graduate nurses are at a high risk of increased turnover in the 1st year of employment. An evidence-based, graduate-nurse centered approach is essential to improving nurse retention among this cohort. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 43 new graduate nurses was completed in July 2021 (a subset of a larger sample of 390 staff nurses). Nurses were recruited to complete the Brief Resilience Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and a demographic survey. RESULTS: New graduate nurses scored within "normal resiliency." This cohort reported moderate levels of burnout overall. Higher levels were reported within personal- and work-related subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to reduce burnout and increase resiliency in new graduate nurses should be focused on improving personal and work-related burnout.