An Innovative Teaching Model Using Intraprofessional Simulations.

Nursing programs are challenged to develop innovative approaches for admitting more students while providing a quality education that prepares them for safe practice. A clinical teaching model using simulation was developed as an innovative way to improve intraprofessional collaboration among junior- and senior-level nursing students. Students enrolled in Adult Health, Critical Care, and Management clinical courses rotate into the simulation lab throughout the semester. These experiences, with modified standardized simulations and simulations developed by faculty, have assisted students with teamwork, effective communication skills, delegation, and prioritization of care.

Self-Reported Patient Safety Competence among Nursing, Respiratory Care, and Nuclear Medicine Technology Students.

AIMS: Having a culture of safety in an organization is necessary for providers to feel comfortable reporting and discussing medical errors so that solutions can be devised to decrease their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to describe self-reported patient safety competence among nursing, respiratory care, and nuclear medicine technology students. DESIGN: A descriptive study was conducted in a public university. All junior- and senior-level students in nursing, respiratory care, and nuclear medicine technology were asked to complete the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS) to assess their perceptions of safety education in the classroom and clinical settings. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among the groups. Nursing and nuclear medicine students reported higher safety competence. Females reported a higher level of competency than males. There were no significant differences between junior- and senior-level student self-reported safety competencies. Findings will be used to make curricular changes to enhance safety education for healthcare professionals.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Safety and Communication Issues in the Clinical Setting.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to describe nursing students' perceptions of safety issues and communication in clinical settings. METHOD: A descriptive study of nursing students' perceptions of safety and communication in clinical settings was conducted at a state university in the northeastern United States. Study participants consisted of 196 junior- and senior-level undergraduate nursing students in a baccalaureate program. RESULTS: One third of the students reported thinking that mistakes are held against them. In addition, they reported fear of communicating an error and fear of asking questions if something does not seem right. The majority reported they never encountered a near-miss event and would not report an error that and not harm the patient. Students also responded that actual errors and near misses are not consistently reported. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate educators have an opportunity to enhance nursing curricula with strategies to foster and embrace a culture of safety. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):287-290.].

Using active engagement to teach leadership.

The current health care climate requires nurses to demonstrate leadership competencies. Incorporating leadership strategies into nursing continuing education is accomplished through methods such as role-play and clinical simulation activities. Simulation helps nurses to care for multiple patients, effectively delegate, consider quality and safety issues, and communicate effectively with health care team members.

Assessment of nurses' and therapists' occupational musculoskeletal injuries.

INTRODUCTION: Occupational musculoskeletal injuries are serious issues facing health care professionals and health care facilities in the United States today. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate health care worker occupational injury patterns to gain better understanding of the injuries. METHOD: A descriptive study was conducted at a 497-bed hospital to investigate the patterns of occupational injuries of nursing and therapy personnel. A secondary data analysis was conducted on data collected by the occupational health department of a hospital. FINDINGS: Two years of occupational injury reports were analyzed. The evidence showed the overall injury rate between nurses and therapists was similar. Health care professionals ages 50 to 59 were employees injured most frequently. The most injuries occurred between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday was the most frequent day of injury. Most employees reported the injury on the day of the injury and did not lose work time from the event. Surgical services department had the most injuries, and back injuries were the most common type of musculoskeletal injury. CONCLUSION: By recognizing the type of injuries, location of injuries, time of injuries, and impact of injuries, nurses can make changes to decrease work-related musculoskeletal injuries and improve work environments.

Using active simulation to enhance learning of nursing ethics.

Ethical decision making in health care is a complex issue that requires nurses to critically think about situations. Active simulation through the use of role-play was used as a teaching strategy for education on ethics. Participants served in various roles in simulations that encouraged nurses to examine their thoughts and feelings and use ethical decision-making models.

Nurses' and therapists experiences with occupational musculoskeletal injuries.

Occupational musculoskeletal injuries are costly to the health care industry. It is estimated that 12% of nurses leave the profession annually because of back injuries. With the use of grounded theory methodology, 15 nursing personnel and physical therapists were interviewed about their perceptions of occupational musculoskeletal injuries. Analysis of the data identified major themes, including feelings of fear and frustration; chronic issue and part of the job; love of the profession and concerns about continuing in the profession; increased risk of injury; compliant with treatment; negative impact on quality of life; negative feelings about the occupational health department; and educational needs. A theory began to emerge in which health care workers accepted occupational injuries as part of the job and took no action or initiated only minor interventions to prevent work-related injuries. The study indicates a need for education and better communication.