Clinical Faculty Orientation Practices in the United States: A Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the nursing faculty shortage, expert clinical nurses are working as novice clinical instructors (CIs). Orientation is needed to prepare these nurses to teach; however, lack of evidence-based guidelines for orientation programs can lead to variability among institutions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe clinical nursing faculty orientation practices in the United States. METHODS: A descriptive convergent mixed methods design was used. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen CIs participated. Of these, 70.8% were not provided with a formal orientation to their role. Duration, modality, and content varied widely among orientations. Four themes were derived from the qualitative data: Administrative Requirements, Transition to Clinical Educator, Mentorship, and Resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical faculty orientation practices vary widely in the United States. Evidence-based guidelines are needed to streamline orientations to provide CIs with the requisite knowledge and skills to support clinical students.

The Use of Auditory Simulation in Undergraduate Nursing: An Innovative Teaching Strategy to Promote Empathy.

ABSTRACT: Auditory hallucination is common in schizophrenia, influencing emotional state and behavior. Most patients experience high levels of distress, paranoia, and depression. After participating in the "Hearing Voices" auditory simulation, which involved rotating through various workstations while listening to distressing voices, nursing students (n = 39) completed the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale. All were satisfied with the auditory simulation; 90 percent perceived the experience as beneficial to their role as a registered nurse. This innovative teaching strategy, utilizing simulation, provided an opportunity to experience auditory hallucinations, thereby increasing both understanding and empathy.

Megacode Simulation Training in Undergraduate Nursing Education.

ABSTRACT: The use of simulation to prepare new graduates to enter a dynamic workforce is an effective strategy to improve skill acquisition, critical thinking, and the training needed to care for complex patients. Megacode simulation was implemented in the undergraduate curriculum during the last semester prior to graduation. Students (n = 52) completed the Clinical Decision-Making Self-Confidence Scale; 95 percent were satisfied with the megacode experience and perceived the simulation training as beneficial in content knowledge and skill acquisition. Megacode simulation provided senior-level nursing students the opportunity to develop in their new role as graduate nurse.

Simulation Strategies Used in the Transition From Expert Clinician to Novice Educator.

ABSTRACT: As the demand for nurses increases across the United States, nursing programs are challenged to increase enrollment. Thus, expert clinicians without teaching experience are often hired as clinical faculty. Using simulation to train novice clinical faculty is one method to bolster the clinical faculty workforce. For this project, six Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)-focused simulation-based learning experiences (SBLEs) were developed to train novice clinical faculty. Master's-level nurse educator students participated in the SBLEs. The SBLEs were found to be valuable for learning the clinical faculty role and debriefing increased understanding of the QSEN competencies.