Impact of peer teaching on nursing students: perceptions of learning environment, self-efficacy, and knowledge.

BACKGROUND: Peer teaching has been shown to enhance student learning and levels of self efficacy. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of peer-teaching learning experiences on nursing students in roles of tutee and tutor in a clinical lab environment. SETTINGS: This study was conducted over a three-semester period at a South Central University that provides baccalaureate nursing education. PARTICIPANTS: Over three semesters, 179 first year nursing students and 51 third year nursing students participated in the study. METHODS: This mixed methods study, through concurrent use of a quantitative intervention design and qualitative survey data, examined differences during three semesters in perceptions of a clinical lab experience, self-efficacy beliefs, and clinical knowledge for two groups: those who received peer teaching-learning in addition to faculty instruction (intervention group) and those who received faculty instruction only (control group). Additionally, peer teachers' perceptions of the peer teaching learning experience were examined. RESULTS: Results indicated positive response from the peer tutors with no statistically significant differences for knowledge acquisition and self-efficacy beliefs between the tutee intervention and control groups. In contrast to previous research, students receiving peer tutoring in conjunction with faculty instruction were statistically more anxious about performing lab skills with their peer tutor than with their instructors. Additionally, some students found instructors' feedback moderately more helpful than their peers and increased gains in knowledge and responsibility for preparation and practice with instructors than with peer tutors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study differ from previous research in that the use of peer tutors did not decrease anxiety in first year students, and no differences were found between the intervention and control groups related to self efficacy or cognitive improvement. These findings may indicate the need to better prepare peer tutors, and research should be conducted using more complex skills.

A pilot study: a descriptive correlational study of factors associated with weight in college nursing students.

From a convenience sample consisting of junior level nursing students enrolled in a research class at a southern Historically Black College and University (HBCU), this pilot study investigated the percent of participants who were overweight as determined by Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements, and the percent satisfied with their body image as measured by the Strunkard Body Image Scale. BMI measurements were correlated with self esteem, body image, self care, and self efficacy in the regulation of eating habits and exercise regimens. The study found that students with greater BMIs had lower self efficacy beliefs about regulating their exercise habits. Self care, post the self directed intervention, significantly correlated with the pre and post intervention scores of self efficacy to regulate exercise, and with the post intervention scores of self efficacy to regulate eating habits. However, the study found that students' self care capacity was significantly different at the end of the study period.

Awareness and implementation of the 2000 United States public health service tobacco dependence treatment guideline in a public hospital system.

The 2000 United States Public Health Service (USPHS) clinical practice guideline, "Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence," recommends systems interventions to integrate the treatment of tobacco into routine health care. The Tobacco Control Initiative employed a systems approach to integrate evidence-based treatment for tobacco use into patient care practices in Louisiana's safety net health care system. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in awareness and implementation of the USPHS clinical practice guideline. Surveys were administered to a purposive sample of hospital personnel from key departments in the Louisiana State University system of public hospitals in 2003 (n = 24) and 2007 (n = 44). Perceptions of implementation success improved for 50 of 59 distinct survey items. Rasch scaling was used to assess overall (scaled) change and showed substantial improvement from 2003 to 2007 (P < 0.001). Survey items also were grouped into 6 logical key concept sets. Improvement occurred in perceptions for all 6 key concepts; however, not uniformly. Results of the 2003 and 2007 surveys illustrate the potential effectiveness of using a systems approach to integrate the assessment and treatment of tobacco use into routine care practices in a public health care delivery system that serves medically vulnerable populations.

The effect of type of learning environment on perceived learning among graduate nursing students.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the effect of type of learning environment (Internet only, compressed video remote-site, and compressed video host-site) on perceived learning among graduate nursing students. A convenience sample of 49 students enrolled in a graduate nursing research course was selected for the study. The findings showed no differences in perceived learning and final course grades among students enrolled in the three sections of the research course. While the effects of type of learning environment, feelings of connectedness, learner-learner, and learner-system interactions on perceived learning were not statistically significant, learner-instructor interactions had a significant effect on perceived learning. The study findings are encouraging in that students felt that they learned the course content and these perceptions were the same regardless of type of learning environment. The findings also suggest that the quality of instruction is more of an influence on learning than type of teaching modality.