ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clinical elective courses provide additional specialty knowledge for prelicensure nursing students; however, it is unknown how these courses impact nurses' clinical practice after graduation. PURPOSE: To describe how clinical nursing electives impact graduates' clinical practice. METHODS: A mixed-methods descriptive design was used. Students who graduated from a prelicensure nursing program were sent an electronic survey and participated in qualitative interviews. RESULTS: Thirty-three graduates completed the survey, with 9 participating in interviews. Sixteen graduates worked in clinical practice areas that were the same, or related to, the clinical elective they took. Many graduates felt that taking the elective course improved their confidence in the clinical setting and provided increased knowledge that put them at an advantage over their peers. CONCLUSION: Clinical electives may offer a means to meet health care system needs by preparing a more confident, knowledgeable new graduate in specialty areas in which nurses are needed most.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To better understand clinic attendees' perceptions of nonsterile glove (NSG) use during vaccination and their concern for the environment. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, self-administered, in-person survey. METHODS: A nonrandom volunteer sample of vaccination clinic attendees (n = 789) completed a survey assessing their perception of NSG use during influenza vaccination administration and their concern for the environment. FINDINGS: Nearly all respondents equated NSG use with increased safety and professionalism. More than half of respondents reported feeling concerned about environmental waste associated with NSG use. CONCLUSIONS: NSG are not indicated for routine vaccination. Adherence to evidence-based practices on NSG use during vaccination can substantially reduce associated medical waste. Nurses can lead by example by only using NSG when indicated.
Subject(s)
Influenza, Human , Vaccination , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The connection between health and housing is well-established. People who are precariously housed have worse health than those who have stable housing arrangements.- Persons moving into public housing have a higher illness burden than the general population, and public housing residents engage in less healthy behaviors, which contribute to public housing residents having poorer health than persons living in other housing situations. Public housing authorities and residents can benefit from authentic and constructive relationships with academic partners; academicians and students can benefit from engaging in partnerships with housing authorities and residents to better understand the connection between housing and health. This article describes the well-established relationship between the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) and the Durham Housing Authority (DHA), the evolution of that relationship, our collaborative work in improving the health of DHA residents while advancing nursing education and science, and lessons learned.
Subject(s)
Public Housing , Schools, Nursing , Community-Based Participatory Research , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Learning to care for patients with mental health concerns is an important part of nursing school. Teaching mental health concepts across the nursing curriculum, rather than in just one course, prepares students for meeting the mental health needs of all clients. This article describes the integration of mental health concepts throughout an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program. METHOD: Faculty developed an innovative approach to integrate mental health throughout the curriculum in lieu of a stand-alone course. RESULTS: Quantitative metrics remained consistent when comparing cohorts before and after the integration of mental health. However, students did not recognize mental health content within the program. CONCLUSION: Integrating mental health concepts in the prelicensure nursing curriculum enables students to learn and understand how to care for clients with mental health concerns in any clinical setting. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(7):405-408.].
