A Scoping Review of Nurse Educator Competencies: Mind the Gap.

BACKGROUND: Unclear guidance continues faculty role preparation for promoting students' successful transition to practice. OBJECTIVES: To examine nurse educator competencies and their role in students' transition to practice. DESIGN: This study utilized Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework for conducting a scoping review. The review is reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), including the PRISMA-ScR checklist. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC, and CINAHL was performed for nurse educator competency. For the original search, no limitations were placed on dates. Two authors independently assessed eligibility via abstract review. The reference lists of the included studies were also examined. RESULTS: Eleven articles were included in the review dating from 1992 to 2021. Three themes in the literature were identified by the authors: (1) the need for appropriate mentorship, (2) lack of preparation of educators who transition directly from clinical practice, and (3) lack of use and/or vague operationalization of the National League for Nursing nurse educator competencies. CONCLUSION: Evidence regarding requisite competencies of nurse educators is limited. Further research on the competencies required for nurse educators to facilitate successful student transitions to practice is needed.

Implementing TeamSTEPPS to Facilitate Workplace Civility and Nurse Retention.

Teamwork contributes to quality and may also reduce incivility and improve nurse retention. An evaluation of a TeamSTEPPS implementation in an intensive care unit included an assessment of teamwork, retention, and incivility. Teamwork improvement occurred from the initial assessment to 3 months later (U = 650, p = .001). Nurses planning to stay increased from 58% in 2016 to 89% in 2018. There was no change in incivility. The study provides strategies and lessons learned.

Reducing Barriers for RN-BSN Education: The Assessment Competency Evaluation.

The Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition, composed of regional clinical and academic educators, identified a potential barrier for nurses pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Duplication of health assessment content was identified for some associate degree graduates enrolled in RN-BSN programs, thereby adding extra time and cost for attaining the baccalaureate degree. In response, the Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition developed an assessment competency evaluation that, if successfully passed, would grant credit for the health assessment course. The assessment competency evaluation provided the opportunity for students to demonstrate competency in both health assessment and clinical judgment skills.

Innovative Teaching for Undergraduate Nursing Students Through Mastery Modeling.

Mastery modeling was implemented to support the transfer of classroom diabetes content to the clinical area. Interactive teaching methodologies that exemplified mastery modeling included scripted classroom video and vignettes, simulation-based learning experiences, and a worksheet relating to diabetes-specific groups to use in the clinical setting. When mastery modeling teaching methodologies were implemented, transfer of knowledge through clinical reasoning was noted at a higher level for the diabetes-specific groups over the standard groups.

Care for the Caregiver: Evaluation of Mind-Body Self-Care for Accelerated Nursing Students.

Stress affects the well-being of both nursing students and the individuals with whom they work. With the theory of cognitive appraisal as a framework for this study, it is proposed that mind-body self-care strategies promote stress management by stabilization of emotions. Outcomes will be a perception of less stress and more mindful engagement with the environment. Objective of the study was to describe an evaluation of student perceived stress and mindfulness to 1-hour per week of class time dedicated to mind-body self-care (yoga, mindful breathing, Reiki, and essential oil therapy). It was a quasi-experimental study; data collection took place at 4 time points. Participants were entry-level accelerated nursing students from 3 US universities: 50 in the treatment group, 64 in the comparison group. Data included health-promoting practices using Health-Promoting Promotion Lifestyle Profile II as a control variable, stress and mindfulness (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS] and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale [MAAS]), and demographic information; analysis using mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variances. There was a statistically significant interaction between intervention and time on PSS scores, F(3, 264) = 3.95, P = .009, partial η(2) = 0.043, with PSS scores of the intervention group decreasing from baseline to T3 when intervention ended whereas PSS scores of the comparison group increased from baseline. The average scores on the MAAS did not differ significantly. Evaluation of an embedded mind-body self-care module in the first nursing course demonstrated promising improvements in stress management. The findings support the appropriateness of integrating mind-body self-care content into nursing curricula to enhance students' ability to regulate stress.