Interprofessional reconstruction of a policy for academic advancement: The evolution and evaluation of scholarship for today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Within higher education, scholarship is narrowly and inconsistently defined, limiting recognition of evolving faculty expectations, particularly for nursing faculty. At this academic medical center, a campus-wide, multi-school, academic advancement policy was achieved with a broader definition of scholarship that included: peer-reviewed publication of federally funded research, as well as innovation in curriculum development, teaching methodology, community engagement, safety and quality improvement, clinical practice, and health policy that would be applicable to tenure and non-tenure track faculty. The background, process, and outcomes of developing an expanded definition of scholarship that encompasses new and evolving areas of scholarship for a reconstructed academic personnel policy is presented. Beginning with a literature review and surveys of other schools' policies, we describe how a campus-wide working group ensured consensus and acceptance of the new policy. Upon approval of the reconstructed document, guidelines for implementation were widely disseminated through training workshops and discussions, integration into new faculty orientation, and faculty development programs. We share our process, outcomes, and lessons learned believing this information to be useful to other institutions engaged in review and revision of their promotion and tenure processes to align with the increasing expectations of nursing faculty of today and tomorrow.

The impact of deliberate reflection with WISE-MD™ modules on surgical clerkship students' critical thinking: a prospective, randomized controlled pilot study.

PURPOSE: Critical thinking underlies several Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)-defined core entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Critical-thinking ability affects health care quality and safety. Tested tools to teach, assess, improve, and nurture good critical-thinking skills are needed. This prospective randomized controlled pilot study evaluated the addition of deliberate reflection (DR), guidance with Web Initiative in Surgical Education (WISE-MD™) modules, to promote surgical clerks' critical-thinking ability. The goal was to promote the application of reflective awareness principles to enhance learning outcomes and critical thinking about the module content. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Surgical clerkship (SC) students were recruited from two different blocks and randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. The intervention group was asked to record responses using a DR guide as they viewed two selected WISE-MD™ modules while the control group was asked to view two modules recording free thought. We hypothesized that the intervention group would show a significantly greater pre- to postintervention increase in critical-thinking ability than students in the control group. RESULTS: Neither group showed a difference in pre- and posttest free-thought critical-thinking outcomes; however, the intervention group verbalized more thoughtful clinical reasoning during the intervention. CONCLUSION: Despite an unsupported hypothesis, this study provides a forum for discussion in medical education. It took a sponsored tool in surgical education (WISE-MD™) and posed the toughest evaluation criteria of an educational intervention; does it affect the way we think? and not just what we learn, but how we learn it? The answer is significant and will require more resources before we arrive at a definitive answer.

Academic-correctional health partnerships: preparing the correctional health workforce for the changing landscape-focus group research results.

Providing health care in corrections is challenging. Attracting clinicians can be equally challenging. The future holds a shortage of nurses and primary care physicians. We have a unique opportunity, now, to develop and stabilize our workforce, create a positive image, and enhance quality before the health care landscape changes even more dramatically. Focus groups were conducted with 22 correctional health care professionals divided into three groups: physicians (6), nurses (4), and nurse practitioners/physician assistants (12). Content focused on curricular themes, but additional themes emerged related to recruitment and retention. This article describes recruitment challenges, strategic themes identified, and the proposed initiatives to support a stable, high-quality correctional health workforce.

Integration of basic clinical skills training in medical education: an interprofessional simulated teaching experience.

BACKGROUND: A 2004 survey reveals that the implementation of the 1998 AAMC report on medical student clinical skills training is slow. Given the importance of intravenous catheter placement, a creative approach evolved to educate medical students on this important skill. DESCRIPTION: As part of a community service learning initiative, six graduate nursing students developed, implemented, and evaluated a pilot IV Cannulation Education Module taught to medical students. EVALUATION: Data analysis of 63 participants reveals improved knowledge and confidence in medical students' ability to place an intravenous catheter. The objectives were met and the process enjoyed by students of both professions. CONCLUSION: Opportunities for interprofessional teaching and learning include clinical skills training. Medical students learned an important skill taught by graduate nursing students who developed and evaluated a curriculum that met their own graduate course objectives. Both professions appreciated the opportunity to work collaboratively to achieve their respective programmatic goals.

Managing a disaster scene and multiple casualties before help arrives.

As the largest group of health care professionals in the United States and a component of almost every community, nurses may be called upon to initiate the emergency response and provide initial planning for health care until local, national, or federal assistance arrives. This article will assist nurses in anticipating, preparing for, and responding to multi-casualty, high-impact events. It concludes with a discussion of triage of multi-casualties in the face of scarce resources. It includes resources for more in-depth information on prevention, preparedness and planning, and the health system's response.