Competency-Based Education in RN to BSN Programs.

BACKGROUND: The call for nursing education reform has never been louder. National organizations recognize the urgent need to prepare nursing students to practice competently, moving away from traditional teaching and curricula and to competency-based education (CBE) strategies to prepare future nurses for independent clinical practice. PROBLEM: The 2021 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials do not account for the competencies achieved in registered nurse (RN) associate degree and diploma programs. This presents a challenge for RN to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program administrators and faculty when designing curricula to meet the new Essentials . APPROACH: The Essentials crosswalk created by the National RN-Baccalaureate Faculty Forum serves as a foundational guide for the development of the template models discussed in this article. CONCLUSION: This article provides a template of instructional models for implementing CBE in RN to BSN programs.

Comparison of lecture and manipulative teaching methods on learning and application to practice.

IMPORTANCE: Manipulatives are hands-on or virtual displays that facilitate teaching and learning and are interactive and engaging to students during the learning activity. Manipulatives have been shown to be effective teaching tools for a wide range of students. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether the use of manipulatives in nursing education improved Satisfaction, Learning/Knowledge Retention, Behavior/Transfer of Learning, and Intentions to Change Practice. Underpinning theoretical frameworks included Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation Model and Theory of Planned Behavior. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A quasi-experimental design comparing lecture to manipulative training was used with a sample of nursing interns and students. The study manipulative was a hands-on tool that demonstrated physiologic changes that occur with fluid imbalances. Data were collected using three questionnaires (1) before training, which included demographics and questions on participants' level of comfort with fluid imbalances, (2) immediately following training, which evaluated Satisfaction, Learning, Behavior, and Intentions, and (3) 6-8 weeks after training, which evaluated Learning, Behavior, and Intentions. MEASURES: Independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and repeated-measure analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. CONCLUSION: Findings revealed significant differences in Intentions to change practice (p = 0.014), indicating the manipulative had a greater potential effect on clinical practice compared to the lecture.

Collaborative student-faculty research to support PhD research education.

This paper describes a three-semester hour applied research course taught over three semesters in a revamped PhD research curriculum at a Midwestern high research activity (R2) university-based nursing program. Faculty developed this strategy to help students become adequately prepared nurse scientists. Students and faculty engaged in a collaborative research project to provide students with opportunities to develop, integrate, and apply research knowledge, skills, and attitudes while concurrently advancing through the related research courses. A summary of these experiences and what was learned is organized within a knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) framework. The collaboration between faculty and student peers was essential to students' success in the course. Student and faculty perspectives were used to describe what was learned during the first year this course was taught, together with future recommendations.

Manipulatives in nursing education: A concept analysis.

Use of manipulatives is an active learning strategy that relies on student interaction with objects to help them understand abstract concepts. Manipulatives are frequently used in elementary and middle schools but literature demonstrates that they are also effective tools for adult learners. The aim of this concept analysis is to evaluate the use of manipulatives in education and its applicability to nursing education. Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis process was used for this evaluation. Google Scholar, EPSCO, PubMed, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched using the terms manipulative and manipulatives, college or higher education, and teaching strategies. Three defining attributes emerged from the analysis: manipulatives must be positively engaging to students, learners must interact with objects or virtual graphics, and objects or graphics must be used to facilitate learning. Based on these defining attributes an operational definition is proposed. The model case provides an example of the use of manipulatives in nursing education, whereas additional cases support the defining attributes and the operational definition. Empirical referents describe uses of manipulatives in nursing education, both in academic and clinical settings. The concept of manipulatives and their defining attributes can be used by nurse educators to plan, organize, and evaluate education programs.